Gone But Not Forgotten
by Sushi Chi
Summary: Can Charlie stay strong? [Sequel to Forgotten But Not Gone, Complete]
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: -clears throat- I do not own Numb3rs or the characters in the show. I do not make any money off this story.  
Thank you.  
A/N: SEQUEL! -dances- Such fun! People wanted more of this story! I'm so happy!  
Also, I might not update at least once a day like the previous story.

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It was cold. It was really cold. Charlie shook his head, nope. Nothing in there. Switch. Still cold, but it wasn't as cold. Hm. Maybe? Charlie heard a grumbling noise and sighed, "I know! I know! Will you just shut up already?"

To the onlooker, Charlie would look crazy. Talking to himself and all, but in truth, he was. Not that long ago he was committed too.

But at the moment, Charlie was not thinking about his mental illness. He was trying to get the leftovers in the fridge. _Great_, Charlie thought, _The leftovers I want is in the back. I've gotta move stuff._ He sighed and started moving some of the things in the fridge as his stomach growled again. "Yes!" Charlie yelled triumphantly as he grabbed the container that he wanted. He put everything back in the fridge to look as they did before and went to put the food in the microwave.

Charlie sighed again. "Erg. I wish dad was here to fix me something really good to eat." He moved forward as the microwave beeped, telling him that his food was heated up. Charlie was smart, and remembered to get something for his hand because glass coming out of the microwave is hot, he didn't want a repeat of the night before when he had burned his hand.

Charlie put his plate on the table and was about to sit down when he realized that he forgot a drink. He rolled his eyes and made his way back to the fridge. He stuck his head in and looked around. He knew the type of drinks he could and couldn't have. Alcohol is a no-no. Caffeine is a no-no. Charlie shrugged. Milk or juice? Which went with left over box macaroni and cheese? Charlie nodded, making his decision. Milk.

Charlie heard a noise and he jumped, not expecting it, hitting his head on one of the shelves in the fridge.

He grabbed the milk and turned around. "Hey, Don."

Don nodded. "Charlie."

"What's up?" Charlie was temped to just take the milk carton with him. It was almost empty. He would be emptying it all in a glass. He shrugged. Might as well just drink from the carton. He started walking to the table, where his probably already cold macaroni awaited him.

"Oh, You know." Don started, grabbing a beer from the fridge when Charlie was out of the way, "Just checking up on you." Don paused, "And what are you up too?"

"Eating." Charlie said, indicating his plate of food. He poked it with his fork. "Though I think the food is no longer in a condition to be ate."

"Why's that?" Don asked, taking a swig of his beer.

"Because," Charlie started, poking the macaroni again, "This food is about two weeks old, and I've reheated some of this up last night and I must say that I was up early this morning in the bathroom."

Don chuckled, "Yeah. I know. I heard you."

"I woke you?" Charlie asked, bemused.

Don nodded, "Did not sound pretty. I was glad that I had pizza at the office." He watched Charlie poke the food again, "Don't eat that buddy." He paused as he heard Charlie's stomach growl in frustration. "I'll take you out. Chinese?"

Charlie quickly drank the carton of milk before answering, "Sure. Sounds great." Charlie threw the food away and followed his brother to his SUV. Once inside, Charlie asked the question that Don had been waiting for. "Don, how'd the case go?"

Don smiled slightly. "Well, I'm not going to jail."

"That's good."

Don laughed, "Yes, it is."

Charlie waited till they where out of the driveway, "So ..."

Don shook his head happily, "Well, I get one week off work without pay, and then I have to spend a month on desk duty."

Charlie nodded, glad that was it. _That was all of it, right?_ "Anything else?"

Don sighed unhappily, "I've got to go to an anger management program." He mumbled under his breath.

Charlie smiled, chucking to himself. "I bet your angry about that."

"You bet your ass I am." Don couldn't but help laugh at his words. "But I'm glad with how the case turned out. It could have gone a lot worse."

Charlie nodded. He was glad that his brother was off the hook. "So, this is more than just feeding me. It's a celebration for winning the assault case."

Don nodded, "Oh, also I have to stay at least 100 feet away from one Ex-Doctor Ben Tirry."

Charlie raised his eyebrow, "So, they took his license to practice?"

"Yep." Don said. After a length he started speaking again, "How's dad? He did call today right?"

"Of course dad called. He calls everyday. He wanted to talk to you." Charlie said.

"Why didn't he call my cell?"

"It's dead." Charlie answered.

Don thought about this. He hadn't gotten a call in a while. "Hope no one needs me at the office then." He looked at Charlie, "So, how's dad?"

"He's doing great. and Aunt Ida says hi." Charlie said simply.

"What'd you two talk about?"

"The usual. _Did I eat? Did I sleep? Is Don watching over me? Is Don staying the night like he promised? Did I take my medicine? How am I handling my first week away from my dad since coming home? Did I_-"

"I get it." Don said, irritated a bit. "He's being his usual worrying self. But all of those questions where about you? He ask about me?"

"Other than the questions about me that concerned you?" Charlie asked, grinning, "Course he did. _Is Don eating? Is Don sleeping? How's the court case going. Why won't his cell work?_" Charlie stopped there, knowing that was enough for his brother.

Don nodded. "What'd you do today?"

Charlie rolled his eyes. He had to tell this to at least three people a day. It was really irritating. "I taught my classes. Helped students. Went home. Talked with Dad on the phone. And being as today is Friday, talked to Dr. Roland in person not over phone. Worked. Then I tried to fix me something to eat."

"And that's where I came in." Don said, pulling into a parking space. He knew that Charlie hated it when he asked his brother about his day. But Don had to make sure that Charlie was still okay. He did not want to see his brother like he was earlier in the year. It had broken his heart, learning that his brother was mentally ill with a disease that the person had to live with for their whole life. "You already know the high point of my day."

Charlie grinned as they where getting in their seats in the restaurant, "Yeah. And it's great to know." They ordered and Charlie continued the conversation, "How's Nancy? I mean, I know that you guys would often spend the night together," Charlie winked at his brother who chuckled back, "But being as you've been staying the night at my house every night to watch me," Charlie sighed, sad but true, "I'm sure you two haven't been able to see each other as much. Just wondering how she's taking it."

Don smiled, "Don't worry Charlie, she won't dump me because I have to watch my little brother. She understands. In fact she showed up in court today and we had lunch together." Don took a drink of his beer, "And how is Matt doing? I don't see him much anymore."

Charlie raised an eyebrow, as if he knew a big secret, "Did you know that Matt asked Ellen out?"

Don blinked at his brother, "Who's Ellen?"

Charlie smiled, "She's a student of mine."

"Oh." Don said, pausing, "No, I didn't know that Matt asked Ellen out."

It was quiet again. They thanked the waitress when their food came. Charlie stared down at his food and big smile spread across his lips. "Guess what happened today."

Don looked up, "Uh. I don't know."

"Guess."

"Give me a clue." Don protested.

Charlie shrugged, "Sure. It has to do with Larry and Megan."

Don almost choked on his food.

"You okay, Don?" Charlie asked.

Don nodded, "Just didn't expect it to be about them." He paused, "Alright, I'll guess. Uh. They went on a date?"

Charlie shrugged, "Sorta. I mean, the three of us when to lunch together. But what happened was Megan got Larry to-"

"More Green Tea, Sir?" The waitress asked Charlie.

"No thank you." Charlie said politely.

After the waitress left, Don was anxious, "So, What did Megan get Larry to do?"

"Megan got Larry to eat food with color."

Don blinked. Again, not what he was expecting. "Wow. He ate food with color for Megan."

Charlie nodded, taking another bite of his food, "It's really very extraordinary for him to do that, you know."

Don nodded, "Yeah. I've only ever seen him eat something that was white." Don paused, "So what did he eat?"

Charlie sighed. "It wasn't that big. She got him to try her salad." He paused, "It had no white on it at all."

"She didn't have any salad dressing, like ranch?" Don asked.

Charlie shook his head, "She had that like, western or Italian dressing, where it was colored. No ranch."

Don chewed his food thoughtfully. Everyone seemed to be going out with someone, except Charlie. Don and Nancy. Larry and Megan. Matt and Ellen. He knew that Amita was seeing someone at Harvard. His dad was seeing someone. David was seeing the woman who worked at the morgue. Don even thought Colby was acting happier than usual - probably had a girlfriend. He sighed and looked at his brother sadly.

Charlie noticed Don looked at him in pity. Charlie hated that look. He got it a lot. "What?" Charlie asked, annoyed.

"N-Nothing." Don said, was he that transparent? Did Charlie notice his pity. He sighed. Of course Charlie noticed it. His body language shouted that he was annoyed with how Don had looked at him. Don sighed. "Ready to go home?"

Charlie looked at his empty plate, then he answered Don, unattached, "Sure."

* * *

Don and Charlie both yawned. "That was a great game." Don said, turning off the TV.

Charlie nodded. "Yep. Hockey is always great to watch."

Don got up, "Come on, buddy. Let's give you your medicine then we go to bed."

Charlie followed suit and got up as well, yawning again. "Alright." He followed Don to the kitchen and took his medicine like a good boy.  
Don patted Charlie on the back, "To bed."

"To bed." Charlie agreed.

They made their way up the stairs silently.

"G'night, Don."

"Good night, Buddy."

Charlie walked into his room and closed the door behind him. He didn't bother turning on his light. He amazingly made it to his bed through the mess. He laid down on his bed with a sigh.

He was almost asleep. But when he heard noises in his room, he opened his eyes quickly. He gasp in horror as he felt a pinch in his neck. He could feel something running through his system. He tried to get up and call for help but the man had put his hand over Charlie's mouth, making his cries inaudible. Charlie could barely see, it was getting all blurry. His body was going numb, but he still tried to fight the man. It felt too much like the muscle relaxant that he had been given before his ECT sessions. He glared up at the attacker before everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: And what do you all think of the name of this story compared to the other one? I quiet like the names.

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Don woke up with a yawn. He turned over, wanting to go back to sleep. It felt so nice, being in bed. But his mind was already awake. He sighed and turned over again, to look at the clock. "Shit." He said, the bright red alarm clock told him that it was just after 10 am. He groaned, then finally remembering where he was, he sighed again. He had to go and check on Charlie, then make sure Charlie had taken his medicine. He got up and looked in Charlie's room. It was a mess, but it was always a mess. No sign of Charlie in his room, Don thumped down the stairs. He checked every room, including the bath room. But no Charlie. The garage. Don shrugged, going to get Charlie's medications, sure that he hadn't taken them. Don was right. Charlie hadn't taken his medications. He got some of the pills and grabbed a glass of water, and headed out to the garage. Outside the door, Don started getting worried. He didn't hear music, he didn't hear the sound of chalk against the board, he didn't hear any movement. He opened the door and looked around.

Charlie was no where in the house. It was Saturday at 10:something in the morning. Where would he be? Charlie's bike was there. And the SUV. Don looked all around the garage, for any sign. But there wasn't one. He ran into the house, dropping the glass and the pills while he ran. Downstairs checked out normal. More than normal. It looked like nothing had moved since last night, like Charlie hadn't been down there at all. Don shot a glance at the door. It was unlocked. That's can't be right. He remembered locking it before they watched the game. Don ran upstairs and searched his room and his dad's room. No signs there. Don was slightly worried. One room left to check for clues, Charlie's room. He walked in carefully. He didn't know if there had been a fight here last night or not. He looked on Charlie's bed, the blankets had been pushed around, like there had been a struggle or like Charlie had a nightmare. He moved the blankets and felt something stab his finger. _What the hell?_ Don asked himself, looking down.

Don's body went cold. A syringe. Why was there a syringe in his missing brother's room?

Don sighed and got out his cell phone.

"Granger."

"Colby." Don said, trying to find the right words.

"Hey Don! I heard how the assault case against you went. Glad you won." Colby said, then pausing, "Don? Why are you calling me?"

Don swallowed, "Get Megan and David and come to Charlie's house right away."

"Wiz Kid? What happened?" Colby was worried, last time he got a call like this, Charlie had tried to kill himself. "Is he okay?"

"I-I don't know." Don hung up the phone. He slowly went downstairs, leaving the syringe on Charlie's bed. He sat on the couch and stared out ahead. _What had happened? Where was Charlie? How come I don't know? I was in the house last night. I'm a FBI Agent. I should know what happened._ He looked up to see David standing beside him.

"Don?" David asked, worried for his friend.

Don sighed, "Hey David. Where's Colby and Megan?"

"On their way." David said, sitting down beside Don. "Want to tell me what happened?"

"Not until they show up." Don said, still staring ahead of him.

David nodded, "Alright. Mind if I have a look around?"

"Feel free." Don said simply.

David got up. He decided to check the garage first. It was where Charlie usually was. On his way out, he saw a broken glass, he bent down to check. It had some water sitting in it and pills beside it. He went back in, he had to ask Don about that. "Don, I found a broken glass and some pills beside the sidewalk that leads to the garage."

Don nodded, "Yeah. I had those in my hand when I was looking for Charlie. When there was no sign of him, I dropped them." He looked up when Colby and Megan walked in.

"When you where looking for Charlie?" Megan asked, getting worried, "What happened?"

Don sighed and closed his eyes. _What happened?_ Don didn't know. But he'd tell them all he knew. "Last night I locked the door before Charlie and I watched the game on TV. Then after the game we went to bed."

"Did you hear anything during the night?" David asked.

Don shook his head, in a sort of daze, "I woke up this morning after 10, I had to check on Charlie and make sure he took his medicine, which he didn't take. I looked all around the house. His bikes here. So, if he left himself, he had to call someone or a taxi."

"That's a logical explanation." Megan said, "I'm sure that Charlie just called someone."

Don shook his head, "No. He didn't. I know he didn't."

Colby raised an eyebrow, "And how do you know."

"Look on his bed." Don said, closing his eyes again.

The three agents looked at each other and shrugged. They walked upstairs and looked on Charlie bed.

"What is that?" Colby asked.

"A syringe." Megan said, picking it up. "I wonder what was in it."

"We'll get it to the lab." David said, "Take that with us, we should talk to Don a little bit more."

They all made their way downstairs. "Let's not jump to conclusion." Megan said when they where all in the living room. "Maybe Charlie did just call someone for a ride somewhere. Let's see if Matt or Larry knows anything." He smiled slightly, "I'll call Larry."

"I'll call Matt." Colby said.

David nodded and watched Don closely. He listened to the conversations.

"Hey, Larry. It's Megan."

"Matt? It's Colby Granger."

"I can't talk about that right now, Larry."

"Uh. Have you seen Charlie?"

"Do you know where Charlie is?"

"No? Thanks man."

"Oh dear. That's not good."

"We uh. We can't find him."

"No, We don't know where he is at. And his bikes here."

"Sure, you can come and help."

"That would be great, Larry."

"Thanks. Bye."

"See ya soon, Bye."

They both hung up at the same time.

"No luck. Matt hasn't seen Charlie since yesterday when he taught class. He's on his way." Colby said, sitting down.

"And Larry hasn't seen him since yesterday either. He's going help us look for Charlie."

"I-I should call my dad." Don said. "He needs to know that we can't find Charlie."

David put his hand on Don, "Not yet. We still are not for sure that he is missing and we don't want your dad to worry and come home if Charlie is simply at CalSci or something."

Don nodded, "Yeah. You're right."

David picked up the syringe, "I'm going to get this too the lab." He left.

A few minutes later Larry showed up, "Now will someone please tell me what is happening to Charles?" He was very worried, "I didn't get the story over the phone."

Colby sighed, "Basically. Don woke up this morning and couldn't find Charlie. The door was also unlocked and there was an empty syringe in Charlie's bed."

"Would you go up in Charlie's room and see if it looks like there was a struggle because I can't tell. His room is always a mess."

Larry nodded. "Yeah. Sure. I can do that." He went upstairs with Megan following.

Matt walked in with Ellen. "Hey." He said looking around, "So, you've lost Charlie?"

Don nodded, "Yeah. No idea where he is." He paused, "I need to call Dr. Roland. Charlie hasn't taken his medication today and it was left here. If someone took him he won't be able to take his pills and then he might have a relapse. He might have a relapse even if he had the pills if they are ..." Don's face paled. "I have to find Charlie."

Colby put a hand on Don's shoulder, "We'll get him back. You go and call Dr. Roland, alright?"

Don nodded and went to use the phone.

"So, Dr. Eppes is missing?" Ellen asked, sitting down in a chair. "But, he has to be back by Monday to teach. He has too." She pleaded, "Dr. Eppes has to come back by Monday."

Matt sat down next to Ellen, "Ell, you're showing some symptoms of a slight case of shock. You just need to calm down." He patted her on the shoulder, "Anyway. Remember the last time we saw him outside of school? He asked you to call him Charlie."

She nodded. "Yeah. You're right."

Larry and Megan came downstairs looking grim. "We have reason to believe that a struggle happened in Charlie's room last night."

Matt's face lost most of it's color, "How do you know that?"

"Other than the fact that a syringe was found on his bed," Megan began, "We saw one of his lamps on the floor, broken, glass everywhere and there was some blood on the glass."

"We think it might be Charlie's blood." Larry said quietly.

"Who would kidnap Charlie?" Colby asked.

Don walked into the room, "I don't know. I've been trying to figure that out myself. It might be someone trying to get back at me, or it could be someone who doesn't like Charlie." _And I had no idea that Charlie had been taken last night. I was right in the other room. I'm an FBI Agent, I should have known._ Don sighed. "I've got to go and call my dad." He left the room again. Don looked around the room. The house seemed empty knowing that Charlie wasn't there. He stared down at his phone. He had to call his dad and let him know that his eldest son wasn't protecting his youngest.

"Hello?"

"Dad." Don said quietly. He didn't want to tell his father that Charlie was missing. It wasn't right.

"Donnie? Is that you? You've got to speak up." Alan chuckled, "I'm guessing that Charlie told you about how I had tried to get a hold of you yesterday. Glad you called. How'd the case go?"

Don swallowed, "It went fine dad, but ..."

Alan's stomach dropped, his Donnie was in trouble. It was the assault case, Alan was sure of it. "But?"

"That's not why I called."

"Oh?" Alan got more worried. Why did Donnie call then? His son was acting strange, "What happened? Is it Charlie?" There was a silence. "What happened to Charlie? Donald Alan! What happened to Charlie?!"

"H-He's missing."

"Missing?" Alan sat down in a chair.

"Yeah. Listen, Dad. Just come home and by then we might have an idea as too where he is and who took him."

"Alright. Yes." Alan said quietly, "I'll do that. I'll get the first flight home." He paused, "I love you Donnie."

"Love you too dad."

* * *

Don walked into the office, he didn't care if he was supposed to be taking the week off without pay. If anyone questioned him about it he would either tell them that he was just spending some time at the office without pay or he'd hit them.

He walked up to David at his desk.

"Don?" David asked.

"Has the lab report come back yet?" Don asked, worried.

"It should be back any minute now, Don. You know I would have called you as soon as we knew." He paused, "Are you going to get in trouble for being here?"

Don shrugged, "I might but I don't really care. This is about my brother. My baby brother."

David nodded, "Yes. I understand. You're worried for him. I am too. Charlie is my friend and I'm trying my hardest right now to help find him."

Megan walked up, chewing gum with a folder in hand, "Lab report. Hey Don." She said, handing the folder over to David.

David read the report and shook his head. "I think I already know who took Charlie."

Megan nodded, "Yep. Pretty simple. There is the means and the motive."

Don looked from one to the other, "What? Who?"

David sighed, "Don, the substance that was in the syringe is a muscle relaxant. The kind they use before ECT sessions."

Don's eyes grew, "Ben Tirry? He's got my brother?"

"I'd say so." Megan said, "Think about it, because of Charlie he lost his licence. And you got off pretty easy with the assult charges he put against you. He's probably got a lot of hate for you both, and he just thought that Charlie would be an easier one to get a hold of."

Don nodded, he understood. "Well, now we just have to find him and get my brother back." He nodded again, nervously, "That should be easy, right? Charlie will be back soon." Don sighed, _I hope._

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**A/N: Well, Chikory, you were right. I figured a lot of people would be able to guess who it was. And yeah, I know I updated fast and got the story up fast.  
I was going to finish my other fanfictions before I did this one, but I must that I had no idea what to write in them, so I wrote this story. -shrugs- I'm just going to take this story slower than before.  
Probably.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: For all of those who are worried about me saying that I'm going to be updating slower for this story than the previous - I mean to say that instead of at least once everyday it may end up being every other day or everyday with a few holes were I didn't update. Or every few days. It won't have long holes in the updates. Savvy?  
And two main reasons for my updating not as quick.  
1) I want to try and make this story better, as ****stealthy290**** said, for character development.  
2) I seem to have a mild case of tennis elbow from typing too much these past weeks.  
So, yeah. Check for updates daily, because I will still be updating often.

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**

It was cold. It was so cold that it hurt him. His chest was going numb. Why was it so cold? His body felt heavy. He couldn't move his arms in a way to get rid of the cold. Charlie could feel himself crying from the pain. It was just too cold. Heart stoppingly cold. He heard someone screaming. It wasn't someone that was him he was hearing. Something horrible was happening, the cold and numbness was leaving rapidly, being replaced by heat. Blinding heat. It burned and Charlie wished for the cold again.

He was starting to get feeling in the rest of his body. He was lying on his back on a damp, dirt ground. He heard a sizzling noise that frightened him. He could still feel his tears, but he was no longer screaming. He was panting, it was just so painful. He tried to reach up with his hands to his chest, but they got slapped away.

"Don't touch it yet." A voice said.

Charlie heard some jangling noises, before something cold and heavy went around both wrists, and then his neck. He was having trouble breathing with it around his neck, it was so heavy. Maybe if he turned his head a bit ... He had to bite his lip to stop himself from crying out, moving hurt his chest even more.

A man chuckled, "Feel free to scream. I got this room soundproofed. No one can hear you. Only me. And I'd like to hear you scream."

Charlie knew that voice. He couldn't remember what happened earlier, but he knew that if he knew that then he would know who had him in chains in a soundproof room with a damp, dirt floor. _Or I could open my eyes._ A voice sounded in his head. Charlie started to open his eyes, it was dark in the room. He turned his head and saw a wood burning stove. An iron rod was sticking out of it. His eyes opened wider in horror. "What did you do?" Charlie asked, quietly. Everything hurt his chest. Talking, moving, breathing.

"You are mine now, dear _Dr. Charles Edward Eppes_." His tone was full of malice, "I bet that was a very rude awakening for you." His voice smug.

Charlie turned his head and grimaced at the pain, before him stood Ben Tirry. "What did you do?" He asked again.

"Why don't you look at your chest and find out." He grinned.

Charlie had trouble lifting his head enough to see his chest. But when he saw it, his head fell fast. He stared up at the dark ceiling. It didn't help, he could still see what had happened. He closed his eyes. That didn't help either.

Charlie was shirtless, Ben had taken it off of him earlier. His chest had never had any scars before. But now, right over his heart was a horrid sight. He had been branded.

Ben knelt down beside Charlie, "Do you like it? I chose the symbol out just for you."

"What is the symbol?" Charlie asked, his mouth had gone dry.

"You couldn't tell?" Ben said, "I thought you would know."

"I couldn't really see it well, what with the blood around it and all." Charlie said, swallowing hard.

Ben nodded, "Yes of course. And you are also upside down." He paused, "I shall tell you what I have branded you with. I think you will be happy with the symbol. Pi."

"Pi?" Charlie said, his eyes opening to stare at Tirry. "You branded me with Pi?"

Tirry nodded, "Yes. I figured you would like that." He smiled, "Soon we shall start the real fun." His eyes gleamed in the darkness.

"No offense, Tirry, but I think you've gone insane." Charlie said, trying to stay calm.

Tirry shrugged, "Takes one to know one right?" He chuckled to himself, "And you are staying rather calm throughout all of this so far." He grinned, "But you can forget it. Don won't save you."

"He will." Charlie said, all faith in his brother.

Tirry smiled and shook his head, "He can't! Week away from the job, then a month on desk duty. Besides, he shouldn't be on the case anyway, it's too personal." Tirry sighed, "And I have been planning this for a long time, I have hidden my tracks very well. They will only find you when I want them too." He cracked his fingers, "So, shall we get started then?"

"W-With what?" Charlie knew that part of what Tirry had told him was true, but then Don's team would find him. Don would help. He would be saved. He just had to stay strong until they came.

"The torture of course." Tirry said, as if Charlie were an idiot. "We shall do the five basic tortures before I will start to be ... creative." He grinned. "And you know the five basics, don't you. I'm sure you do, after all you consult for a lot of people." He paused, "So, Charlie, if you can tell me what the five basics are I will start them tomorrow instead of right now."

Charlie knew. But he didn't want to tell Tirry what they were, but then if he didn't Tirry would start the torture. If Charlie had an extra day he could think of what to do and also give his brother more time. He took a deep breath which brought all kinds of new pain in his chest, "Blunt. Sharp. Heat. Cold. Loud." He said quietly.

Tirry nodded and stood up, "Alright. Very good. We shall start tomorrow." He grinned, "Think about which one you want to start off with first. I'd love your input." He turned and left Charlie on the floor, shackles around his wrists and neck, shirt off, revealing a pi symbol branded over his heart.

* * *

Ben Tirry walked upstairs to his new house. He sat down on his couch when he heard a knock at his door. He smiled to himself. _Let's see if they buy my story._ He got up and went to answer it, "Hello?"

"Hi." A young couple where standing before him in the door way, "We're your new neighbors. We live about two miles away, in town." The man told Tirry, "My name is Max Vivi and this is my wife Sandra."

Tirry smiled, "Hello. I'm Mathew Charles Don." He grinned and stepped aside for the two to come in. "Call me Mathew Charles. It is my whole name."

Max nodded, "Alright. I was actually surprised when I heard that someone bought this place."

Tirry nodded, "Yes. Well, I recently divorced my wife and she got the house." He shrugged, "And this place as always enchanted me."

Sandra nodded, "Yes. Me as well. But I do think it is sort of strange for someone to move into a one room school house with a cemetery in the back yard." She smiled, showing that she meant well with her words.

"Yes. I understand. Well, before I moved in I had to update place, of course."

"Of course." Sandra agreed with Tirry. She smiled, "I'll be right back." She ran out the door.

Max laughed, "My Sandra is a great cook and she had made a casserole for you as a sort of house warming gift."

"Oh, that is very nice of her." Tirry said. "So, what do you do?"

"I own the hardware store in town." Max stated, "And you?"

"Teacher. I teach sixth grade math." Tirry said, "Of course last year the school shut down, about the same time my wife filed for divorce."

"Ouch. Rough time?"

Tirry nodded, "Yes. It was a really rough time for me. But now that I'm out of the city I'm feeling much better."

Max nodded, "Yes, I met Sandra in L.A. but we decided when we got married that we didn't want our family to grow up there. That's why we live in this small town." He smiled.

Sandra came back in, "Here. I made this from scratch."

Tirry took the food and put it in his fridge, "Thank you, I'm sure it's delicious."

"Mathew Charles was just telling me about how he moved here from L.A. He was a math teacher."

"Really?" Sandra asked, "That sounds wonderful. I am the sheriff of the town." She grinned happily. "And I love my job. I can try to hook you up with a job at our school."

Tirry shook his head, "No, that's alright. I just want to take some time off before I start teaching again."

"We understand." Max said, looking at his watch, "Oh, honey. We've got to go." He looked up, "I'll see you around Mathew Charles."

"See you around Max, Sandra." He waved to them as they left.

He sank down on his couch and laughed, _They bought it, they actually bought it! This will be so easy!_ He turned on his TV and was as happy as he could be.

His enemies would get what they deserve. Tirry grinned, nothing could stop him now. He had Charlie in his basement of his new home with an alias. Charlie was chained up and already in pain. Tirry smiled at the thought of Charlie in pain, hearing him scream in horror.

And Don, oh. Don could not help his brother officially. It would tare the older brother apart.

The part that Tirry couldn't wait for was when Charlie snapped again, all of Dr. Roland's work on the young genius would be for nothing. He would torture the kid until he had no sanity to return to. Or life to return to. He would make Charlie crazy again and then let him die. Maybe he'd let him die by killing himself. Tirry grinned, yes. He'd make sure that Charlie did his job this time. And then Tirry would sneak into the young man's house and put him on the couch, dead. A present for all of Charlie's family and friends.

Oh, but Tirry would drag this out as long as he could. A little torture here, a little torture there. It'd take him five days to get through the basics. Then he could be as creative as he desired. Tirry's grin grew on his face.

Charlie did not stand a chance.

And it was Charlie's and Don's fault that this was happening to them. If they had been smart none of this would have happened to the two brothers. Tirry remembered when Charlie first came to his office, before he had officially gone crazy. Tirry remembered how he didn't want to help Charlie, he just didn't like the kid. It was something about him. But he helped, or tried to. But then he was able to give him ECT and Tirry just couldn't pass that up. Of course the ECT was Tirry's downfall. If he hadn't done that he would still have his license and he wouldn't of had to press an assault case against Don, only to have Don win in the end. It was because Don was an FBI Agent, Tirry knew. Tirry knew that Don should have had a more severe punishment for what he did.

Tirry was temped to go down to his basement and kill Charlie right then and there, but he stopped himself. He had some sweet torture to look forward too. He would nearly starve the kid, and also not give him much to drink. Charlie would be in hell, a hell that Tirry would proudly throw him in.

Tirry's stomach growled. _Yes, the casserole that Sandra Vivi made me. I shall have that._ He smiled and got up, going to heat up the food. The Vivi's seemed like nice, ignorant people. Tirry knew that he'd have to make appearances in town, so that he seemed normal. He couldn't have anyone looking into him too much. Mathew Charles Don didn't have a past. Tirry smiled as he watched the food in the microwave. He had thought of the perfect name. Mathew for two reasons; Mathew is the closest name to Mathematics and Matt York. Tirry's smiled faded when he thought of the young Matt York, he had never approved of him. Charles and Don where rather self explanatory to why he chose them. Don was an interesting last name for a person, that was for sure. Oh, and the past he picked for himself explained everything. Such as why he moved and why he lived alone.

Tirry took his plate to his table when it was all heated up. The joys of the single life with a captive in your basement. He took a bit of his food. _Life just can't get better than this.

* * *

_

_3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375_

_3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375_

_3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375_

_3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375_

Pi. It showed up in too many places to count. It showed up in many places that had nothing to do with pi. It showed up on Charlie's chest.

He was freezing everywhere. Except his chest which burned. Charlie had long run out of tears. The dirt where his head laid was a little muddy from them all. He tried pulling on the chains, which only caused more pain. So, for who knows how long, Charlie had been laying on the dirt floor, cold, burning, and miserable.

_3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375 __I am not strong. 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375 I'm already sinking into the numbers. I cannot help myself. 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375 Don has to come and save me. But what if Tirry is right? What if Don can't or won't come for me? What then? 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375 I'd have to save myself. But how can I do that? I'm not strong. _

Charlie sighed and opened his eyes. Maybe he could save himself. Charlie pulled his arms, causing pain in his chest and his wrists. He pulled again and again. Soon he felt blood trickle down them. He didn't cut deep or open up the old scars, he just needed a lubricant so that he could get his hands out.

He had thought that his tears would not come again, but he was wrong. He pulled his arms, trying to get his hands through the shackles. It wasn't working. It only caused pain. Charlie closed his eyes in rage. Already, he was beaten. He knew it.

His stomach growled. He was hungry and he was thirsty. Charlie wanted to get up and run to his family, so that they could protect him, but he couldn't. Not in the basement of a mad man. Charlie tried pulling his hands out one more time.

He closed his eyes and laid down, stopped moving. In defeat.

_3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: Hey, Chikory, I think that we all want to punch Ben Tirry out. At least, I know I do.  
Gah, writing Don's part is hard because I wanna get back to Charlie and torture him some more!  
That's why this one took a while to put up, I didn't know what to write. But I hope I did pretty good with this chapter.  
Though I doubt it compares to last chapter, that one just rocked.**

**I have more reasons for why this one was late. And I know you all don't want excuses, but they are true. 1) it's cold, hard to type with frozen hands. 2) my cousin got put in the hospital for about five days**

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* * *

**

It had been a day. A whole day. And Don knew that they had no idea where Ben Tirry was. They had no idea where Charlie was.

That maniac could have done anything to his brother by now.

And the part that Don hated most was that he wasn't allowed to help search for his brother. He was officially on a time off. But a time off didn't stop Don from coming to the office, listen, and give helpful hints.

_It's my fault, _Don thought to himself, _It's my fault that Charlie has been kidnapped. I thought I was a great FBI Agent, but if I was, then how come someone could steal my little brother right from under my nose?_

Megan was watching Don closely. She knew that he wasn't even supposed to be at the office, but she couldn't make him go home. His brother was missing. She shook her head and hoped that Alan would be back soon, to help Don out.

Don was sitting in a chair, fidgeting. he had to do something. He chewed on his gum thoughtfully, getting an idea. He got up and made his way to Merrick's office. He sat down in the empty chair in front of the Director's desk.

The man raised an eyebrow, "Agent Eppes? I believe you are not supposed to be here. You are on a week off, without pay."

Don nodded, "I know that sir. But I want to ask if I can work on the case about my missing brother."

Merrick closed his eyes. He had been waiting for this. "Agent Eppes," He began testy, opening his eyes, "You cannot help on this case at the moment unless you have some information, and then you tell that information to the lead officer - just as a civilian would."

"But I should be the lead officer." Don said.

"Agent Eppes, you assaulted a man!" Merrick yelled.

"The same man who has my brother now!" Don yelled back. "If you don't let me help now, you know that I will be on the case in 5 more days!"

Merrick nodded, "But you will not be lead Agent. This is a personal case, you cannot lead them. And if we happen to make a bust you cannot go in, your emotions could get in the way."

"But-"

Merrick held up his hand, "Do I make myself clear, Agent? It's that or you will have to take a leave for an even longer time than a week."

"Yes sir." Don growled under his breath as he left Merrick's office. He trudged over to his desk.

How could Merrick do this to him? Don needed his brother. He felt as if it was all his fault. Don could feel his insides twist as he thought about what Tirry could be doing to his brother. His brother! If he had known that Tirry would go and kidnap Charlie, Don would have done more than assault the guy, he would have gone all out and killed the man. That's what Don planned on doing. As soon as they found Tirry, he would kill him. Right then and there. He squirmed in his seat, slightly uncomfortable with his murdering thoughts. He looked down at his desk, when he left to talk to Merrick it was empty, now it had his mail on it. Don sat down in his chair and sighed, picking up the envelopes.

One in particular caught his eyes. Don didn't know why, it was more of a gut feeling. He opened it slowly and read . . .

_Agent Eppes-  
I would like to thank you for locking me up for eight years in the state prison.  
You took away my life, so now I will take away yours, just as I would have those eight years ago. I will take away those who are most important to you, one by one. Then I'll torture and kill them, leaving them for you to find.  
I'll be seeing you, Agent._

Don stared down at the letter. He blinked. What was going on? Ben Tirry took Charlie. Didn't he? But this letter makes it seem like he took Charlie. Maybe they were in league together. If they were, then if they found out some stuff about the guy who sent the letter then that could lead them to Tirry and Charlie.

He would just have to kill two bastards for Charlie.

"Megan!"

Megan walked over to Don's desk, "Don, there is no new information."

Don looked up at Megan, the lead agent in the case for Charlie's rescue. "Oh, yes. There is."

"What?"

Don held up a letter, "This letter was written two days ago - see the date." He handed it to her. He watched as her eyes ran across it. "This guy could be with Tirry."

"Or he could be another suspect." Megan said, "Alright. We will go through all the people you put away eight years ago for torture and kidnapping. We'll find him, Don. We'll find Charlie."

Don sat back in his chair. Was it his fault that Charlie had been kidnapped? Was he being tortured? Would he go home today and find his dead brother's body on his couch? The letter said that Don's most cherished ones, one by one. Did that mean that his family and friends were in trouble too? His dad? His team? What about Charlie's friends? Were they a possible target?

Megan was thinking the same thing, rereading the letter. Was she a target? "Colby!"

"Megan?" He asked, walking up behind her.

"Alan's plane is supposed to land at noon. I want you to be there to pick him up and bring him here." Megan told him. "But being as it's only ten, I want you to go to CalSci and bring Larry and Matt here." She sighed and turned to Don as Colby left, "Don?"

Megan's voice brought Don out of his thoughts, he looked up at her.

"I want you to call Nancy, tell her that you will pick her up and bring her here. Alright?"

"Yeah." Don said, "Just find my brother." He walked out of the office quickly. He hoped that Nancy was still alright. He wanted to get to her as soon as he could. On the way to his SUV he pulled out his cell phone and pressed speed dial.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Nancy." Don said, letting out a breath, "Megan told me I had to come and get you, then bring you to the office."

"Oh. Okay." She said slowly, "Why?"

Don stopped walking. Oh. He hadn't told her that Charlie had been kidnapped, he'd been too worried to tell her. He sighed, "I'll tell you in the car. Just be ready for me, 'Kay?"

"Kay." She said, hanging up the phone.

Don found himself on Nancy's doorstep before he realized. He had driven to her house in a daze, he hoped that he hadn't broke any driving laws. He shrugged as he knocked on her door.

Nancy smiled as she opened the door, "So, are we going inside my house for a few or going straight to the office?"

"Office." Don said, leading her to the SUV after she locked up.

She nodded and got in the vehicle. As soon as they were on their way she turned to him, "What is this about?"

Don took a breath. "We think you might be in danger."

"What?" She asked, confused, "Why?"

"Because you know me." Don said quietly.

"Don, tell me what is happening." She demanded.

"I got a letter threatening that they would kidnap all the people I care about."

Nancy raised an eyebrow, "Don, you are an FBI Agent. You get threats all the time. What makes this one so special? Why are you thinking that this guy is actually going to do what he threatened?"

"Charlie's missing." He said quickly.

There was silence for a length, "What?"

"Charlie was kidnapped yesterday. Or two nights ago. I'm not for sure. It was during the night." He hit his steering wheel, "And the bastard took him from right under my nose! Charlie was just in the other room!"

"Don." Nancy said soothingly, "Calm down. This is not your fault."

"I can't even be on the official team that helps find him." Don said, sounding defeated as he drove.

Nancy's heart went out to him. "I'm am so sorry, Donnie. But I'm sure that they are doing their best to find out who took him. Are there any leads?"

"Well, whoever wrote the letter and Ben Tirry."

"Tirry? As in the one who sued you for assault?" Nancy asked, watching Don nod his head, "Oh. Wow." She sighed. "Any idea as too who wrote the letter?"

Don shook his head, "Not yet, we don't. But Megan and everyone are working on that."

Nancy nodded, "They will find Charlie."

"Yeah. I just hope that he is alive when they do."

* * *

Colby pulled up in front of CalSci. It felt strange going there for someone who wasn't Charlie. He sighed as he opened his door and made his way inside. He knocked on Larry's door, hoping the professor was not giving a lecture. He knocked again.

"Hold on. Hold on." Colby heard a muffled voice. The face of Larry appeared right in front of him, "Colby? Oh, my." He opened his door wider, "Have you found Charlie? Is he okay?"

Colby looked at the man sadly, "Sorry, I was just told by Megan to pick you and Matt up. Supposed to bring you both to the office."

"Oh." Larry said, looking about his office slowly, "Yes. I shall go and fetch Mathew then."

"We are going to find him, you know."

"Mathew? Yes, I know."

Colby shook his head, "No, I'm talking about Charlie. We are going to find him."

Larry nodded, wanting to believe it. "Yes. I don't doubt that."

"You sound skeptic." Colby answered, following the professor out the door and onto the campus.

Larry nodded, "I'm sure that you will find Charles. But it's more of if Charles will be there."

"What do you mean?"

"Being kidnapped. It is very likely that he has had a relapse and he won't be himself." Larry paused, "Or you will all find him already dead."

Colby swallowed. The pit of his stomach fell, Larry was right. Charlie wouldn't be Charlie anymore. He sighed as he watched Larry move quickly up to Matt.

* * *

Alan hadn't expected to see Colby there for him. "Where's Donnie?" He asked, worried.

"At the office." Colby answered, helping Alan with his bags.

"Where's Charlie? Have you found Charlie? Where is my baby boy?"

Colby looked down at the ground, then back at Alan, "Now, please. Just calm down and I will tell you everything I know." He took a breath, "Which isn't a lot."

He helped Alan get all of his luggage in the vehicle, then they started on their way to the office.

"Tell me now, Agent Granger, or I swear I will-"

Colby cut him off, before the threat was finished, "We have two main suspects."

"Two? Who?"

"Well, one of them we don't know the name of."

"What?! Then how can said person be a suspect!?"

Colby sighed, "Don got a letter today, it was dated before the kidnapping and it talked about kidnapping Don's loved ones and," he swallowed, "torturing them. It appears as if he has been in jail for eight years. So, we are doing are best to look in on that."

"A-And the other?" Alan could hardly speak. Did Colby just say torture?

"Ben Tirry. It seems as if a syringe was left at the scene - in Charlie's room and the substance in it was what is commonly used for ECT sessions. And we can't seem to find him. We are thinking that the two of them might be in league with one another."

Alan nodded, taking it all in. His baby boy was being tortured.

How was this effecting Charlie? He was just starting to get well again . . .

* * *

Alan walked into the office and found himself being led into the interrogation room by Colby. Was Colby going as him questions about Charlie? No. Alan could see everyone else in the room. They were all going to be told something. He sat down next to Nancy and Larry.

Megan stood in front of everyone as they all took their seats. She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "Alright. I called you all here because I want to put all of you under protective custody."

"What?" Alan asked, worried, "Why?"

"The letter that Don got talked about taking away the ones he cares about one by one. And ..."

"You're thinking that we could be next?" Nancy asked quietly, looking down at the empty table.

Megan nodded.

Matt raised his hand, "But uh. I don't see Don that much. I'm more of a friend of Charlie's ..."

Megan nodded again, "Yes, but that could make you a potential target. Through Charlie. Or if this guy sees you around Don ..."

"Are you saying that who ever I spend time with or call or heck, even look at or say hi too could be a victim next?" Don asked, anger in his voice. He sighed, "Don't answer that." He paused for a beat, "Alright. Do we know who sent the letter yet?"

"No." David said, scratching his right eyebrow, "But we should know at least by tomorrow."

"I don't see myself doing well in protective custody." Matt said, to himself more than anyone else.

Megan sighed, "Alright. Find, no custody. Just, travel in pairs or groups. No one should be alone. Alright?" She watched as everyone nodded in agreement.

Alan put a reassuring hand on Don's knee. Or, he hoped it was reassuring. It was to him, he still had one son with him. He just desperately needed the other.

Don looked at his father when he felt a hand on his knee. He needed to be strong for his dad. He needed to be strong for Charlie. Don couldn't break and be weak right now. He could after they got Charlie back. The real Charlie, not an insane one. Don wanted to punch himself for assuming that Charlie had broken and had a relapse already. It had only been one day, didn't he believe in his brother more than that?


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: I added onto the last chapter, chapter 4, so it's a bit longer. I'd read the ending if I were you. -nods- but I'm not you, and you can not read if you want. -shrugs-  
****

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**

Charlie could tell that he was moving. He was moving? What was he doing, exactly? Charlie almost chuckled to himself. That was the question. What was he doing? He groaned, trying to clear his mind and remember everything. He remembered one thing. _3.141592653589... _Why was pi going through his head? Why couldn't he stop moving? How did he know he was moving? He was having trouble feeling his body. It was so numb with cold. Oh, Charlie knew why he was moving now that he realized that he was going numb with cold. He was shivering. Though his shivers where more like tremors. Maybe they were tremors. Charlie knew that he had already had a seizure once, that was, not including the ones that happened during ECT sessions, so maybe he was having another one. _ECT sessions. _That rang a bell. Something about Dr. Tirry.

Oh God, if only he weren't so cold.

The shivering, or tremors, hurt. Mostly his chest, but his wrists too. Something was on his wrists and neck. He was missing his shirt. Charlie wished his mind would clear so that he could remember what had happened. Charlie decided that it would help if he opened his eyes. It was too dark at first. But soon he saw something about a foot away from his head. A small glass of water and one slice of bread. He groaned, shivering. Remembering.

"You're finally awake."

Charlie turned his head slowly and saw Ben Tirry standing across the room. He looked at the man, then at the food, back at the man.

Tirry laughed quietly, "I don't want to starve you till you die, Charlie. I want to torture you as long as I can. That involves you eating and drinking." He smiled, "Don't you just love how cold this room can get?"

"I-I thought you said that I-I could pick the first t-torture." Charlie said, daring to stare Ben in the eyes.

Tirry nodded, "You do. I didn't make this place cold. Charles, you do realize that you are underground? In an old limestone building with rock walls and a dirt floor? Of course it gets cold at night. And it stays cold and damp. Dark too. Just like a dungeon." He smiled, "So, have you decided as to which form of the five basics you want? I'd love for you to tell me."

Charlie was silent.

"You know, if you don't tell me. I'll just pick the one that you would probably pick. Either way you'll get tortured."

Charlie remained silent.

Ben shrugged, "Alright. If I where in your place, I'd say that I'd prefer to have the most seemly non-painful torture as possible." He counted off on his fingers, "Blunt. Sharp. Fire. Cold. Loud." He grinned, "Loud. That's the one. It would seem to have no physical damage, just hearing." He nodded, "Yes. That's it. I'll be right back!"

Charlie watched as Ben smiled like a school kid and ran upstairs. Charlie was not shaking from fear and the cold. He sighed, feeling slightly proud of himself. The day before Charlie had been close to breaking, but now he was still strong. He knew that Don was coming for him. He just had to wait the torture out. He stared up at Ben as he walked into Charlie's view.

He was grinning wildly, "Being as I'm not for sure how well the soundproofing of this room worked, I decided that loud would be a little different."

Charlie's eyes widened in horror when he saw what was shining in Tirry's hands. He tried to move, he couldn't get far with the chains on him. But in his fetal attempt to back away into the darkness, he knocked over his glass of water and squished his bread.

"Now, why did you do that? You only get that a day." Ben sighed and shook his head, "I guess you will just have to wait for tomorrow slice of bread, unless you want to eat that one off the dirt ..." He grinned, "Shall we start?"

"No. No. Please, No." Charlie pleaded.

"Oh, come on Charlie! I know that at one time you had one of these in your hand, next to your temple. Ready to die."

"I don't want to die. Please, No."

Ben chuckled, "I already told you that I wasn't going to kill you!" He grinned and raised the gun.

Charlie heard six shots ring out in the damp, dark. He counted them. He stared at the smoking gun, too numb to feel pain. Too numb physically and emotionally. Charlie saw them before he could feel them. He watched as his blood flowed to the dirt floor. Then the pain shook him. He cried out. His right foot, left leg, and right shoulder had been hit.

"Hey, Not bad for my first time. I got half of the shots in on the target."

Charlie grinned painfully, "Big. Target. To. Miss."

Ben glared down at Charlie.

The grin grew, "And. I'm a. Close. Target too. You're. A. Lousy. Shot." Charlie made eyecontact with his former therapist, "Ya Bastard."

Ben walked over to Charlie and took a pencil from his pocket. He walked right up to Charlie's right shoulder and thrust the pencil in the bullet hole. "Say that again. I dare you."

Charlie bit his lip, to stop from crying out in the pain.

Ben twisted the pencil, and pushed it in harder. It was touching the bullet. "You forget who is in charge, Chuck. I own you. Body and soul." He twisted the pencil quickly, making it so that Charlie couldn't hold back his scream, "I wouldn't say such things to the one who owns you. It's unwise." He pulled the pencil out in a quick motion, and as he turned around, he stomped on Charlie's foot that had been shot. Again Charlie cried out in pain. Ben smiled as he went up the stairs into his new home.

Charlie stared out, as soon as the pencil was out he had laid down on his back, he turned his head and saw his one piece of bread soaked in his spilt water. No. It wasn't just water. The white bread was turning red. It was absorbing up some of his blood from the floor.

_3/6 1/2_

_3.141592653589_

_3.141592653589 plus 1/2  
3.141592653589 + 0.5 is 3.641592653589..._

_3.641592653589 plus the pencil plus the stomp  
3.641592653589 + 1 + 1 is 5.641592653589..._

_5.641592653589 plus the brand  
5.641592653589 + 1 is 6.641592653589..._

_Day 2's torture was over.  
6.641592653589 + 2 is 8.641592653589..._

_My torture has added up to 8.641592653589 so far. _Charlie watched as soon the bread was all red. Red with little dark spots from the dirt floor. He didn't want to move, but he couldn't stop himself. It was just too cold. He closed his eyes, hoping that he would sleep, or become unconscious. But he remained awake. Why? Why can't his life be normal? When was it ever "normal"? Charlie could feel his thoughts getting off subject. He needed some of his medication. Before he got worse, before he broke. What if Don never finds him while he's alive? Then he'd be with his mother. He missed her so much. He wanted to her whisper in his ear and tell him that everything was going to alright, he wanted her to hold him and tell him that she loved him. But the only way he'd ever have that again is if he died. But Charlie didn't want to die, not yet. He wanted to see Don again. He wanted to see his dad and friends. He wanted ... He wanted so much.

* * *

Blood. There was blood on his blue pencil. Ben sighed, chewing his lip thoughtfully. _Mathew Charles Don_. Mathew Charles had to make some appearances in town. Maybe he'd go out and eat tonight. Have a nice steak. Rare. Oh, very rare. He wanted to cut the steak and watch the blood run out and down his throat. 

_I rather enjoy this torturing other thing,_ Tirry thought to himself, _Maybe after Charlie dies I should continue to torture. Maybe next time I should get a woman._ He grinned, _Yes, a woman. Maybe I should get Sandra Vivi, the sheriff. That would be quiet interesting._ Tirry couldn't wait till he was done with the basics, then he could have some fun with the young professor.

The pencil was a problem. He had to get rid of it. If someone would come over and see it, they'd ask questions. Tirry grinned as he moved the run and opened up the hidden latch, throwing the pencil in the darkness. He glanced down at an unconscious body of his victim. Tirry shrugged as he put the rug back in place. Yeah. Steak.

Tirry smiled, thinking up the torture for tomorrow.

* * *

Charlie felt something on his face. It didn't feel right, he moved his left arm, swatting at his face as he opened his eyes. His eyes were already starting to sink in with dark circles and pain glazed on them. 

Charlie tried to squirm and crawl away as fast as he could, but he didn't get very far at all. The chains didn't stop him, the pain did. He looked down at what had been on his face.

A spider. Charlie shuttered, he hated spiders. He smashed it with his left hand.

Charlie was glad that he hadn't ate his bread, he was afraid that he would have lost it by now.

The way the spider looked after it was smashed along with the pain and the smell of his blood did not sit well with his stomach. He dry heaved and then moved away from it, as far as he could. He laid down on his back, tired and in pain.

He felt something else. It wasn't a spider though, and it was touching his side. Charlie moved his head enough to look. It was a blanket. When had that been put there? Charlie slowly moved and unfolded the golden fabric. It wasn't that heavy of a blanket, just a little bit more than a sheet, but it helped keep Charlie warm.

He didn't understand Tirry. Why would Tirry give him a blanket? That just didn't make sense. He shrugged and pulled it up closer to his head. He could already see the gold getting three red spots. If he didn't stop bleeding soon he would run out of blood. Charlie sighed as he decided what to do with the blanket. He sat up, chains rattling and he started ripping the blanket into strips. He put one around his foot, leg, and shoulder, hoping to stop the bleeding. Then he wrapped his chest, hoping that would help get rid of the burning pain.

Charlie's mind raced down many paths, jumping from one to the other. He couldn't focus on anything, though his mind kept coming back to one thing.

_8.641592653589 + dry heaves + spider scare  
8.641592653589 + 1 + 1 is 10.641592653589..._

_10.641592653589 ..._


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: Well, I saw my cousin again. She will be in the hospital for a few more days now. She may actually be in there during Thanksgiving. It sucks seeing her like that.  
Reminder: Is my fanfiction. My rules for this world. :3**

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* * *

**

_Day Three. Still no leads._ Don thought as he laid awake in his bed. _Charlie could be dead by now. And it'd all be my fault. I let him get kidnapped. I'm a horrible brother, I never understood Charlie and I usually didn't even bother trying to understand him. If I had never moved here after mom got sick, then Charlie would still be here with dad. Right? _Don shook his head as he turned over, _No. He'd be dead. I'm the reason why Charlie got out of the garage. I had to physically drag him out of there. If I hadn't done that he would have starved himself to death. But which torture was better for Charlie? The one that he put himself when he locks himself in the garage or the kind that someone else does to him? What am I thinking about? We will find Charlie and he will get better and then I'll have my brother back. _Don looked at his clock and watched as the bright red light changed from 5:46 to 5:47. He sat up and looked around his childhood bedroom. He got up and immediately his feet started to freeze on the cold floor. He shrugged, he deserved to get cold. He opened his door quietly and then he saw a light on downstairs. Don started down the stairs as he made his way to the living room where he found his dad in Charlie's favorite chair, staring at a picture of Margaret. He was talking to the picture. Don headed back up the stairs as quietly as he could, leaving his father to talk with his mother. He was almost in his room again when suddenly turned around and went into Charlie's bed room. He needed to see it.

* * *

"Don's doing the best he can during this time. And I'm sure that Charlie is too." Alan smiled down at the picture of his wife. "And I know that you are with him, where ever he is. He sometimes gets lost without you, God knows that I don't understand him like you did. I don't think anyone could understand our boy like you. After you d-died it was a long road of recovery to get Charlie back to normal." Alan dried the glass covering the picture when a tear fell on it. "Did you know that when he was in the hospital not that long ago, he had seen you. I don't know whether it was a hallucination of his or if you really did go and see him. 'Course he also was talking about a windmill and some blue silly putty." He paused, "I'll make you a promise, honey. I'll watch over Donnie and keep him safe if you watch over C-Charlie and k-keep h-him alive. I can't lose someone else right now, it's still too tough. I don't know if our boys have noticed some of the things I've done since you left us. Like when I fix something to eat and I almost grab four plates instead of three. Or when I go around the house looking for you, before I remember that you aren't here physically." He smiled as he felt a presence. He didn't feel as alone, "You go and see to Charlie and I'll go and see to Don." He put the picture down and went to fill his end of the deal.

He walked up the stairs quietly, hoping that he wouldn't wake his son. He opened the door to Don's room slowly and blinked at the empty bed. "Donnie?" He turned and saw a light in Charlie's room. His heart felt warmer still when he saw that. Don needed his brother. Alan could remember many times when Don would ignore his brother's calls or when he would go anywhere where Charlie wasn't. Alan decided to leave his son alone for now.

* * *

Don was just standing in the middle of the room. His brother's room had been contaminated. So many people had messed with his things, looking for clues. They hadn't found any, or if they did they didn't know it. He remembered when all the FBI Agents rooted through his brother's work, moving everything. Don couldn't help but smile when he looked around and saw that after the clue searching that the room was cleaner than when his brother was living in it. Charlie was the absent-minded professor, if you looked it up in the dictionary it would tell you to "see Professor Charles Eppes".

Don had thought that looking at Charlie's stuff would help him feel better, but it only made him feel worse. He kicked at a stack of books on his way out the door.

"Anger management not going to well, son?" Alan asked, he had been standing the hallway, waiting for Don.

"Haven't been going." Don mumbled looking at his feet.

"Donnie." Alan said, his voice shaky, "You could get in a lot of trouble if you don't go. They could take away your job."

Don sighed, "Yeah. Then I'd have lost the two most important things in my life. My job and Charlie." He shook his head.

"Just go. You can go today." Alan said, walking closer to Don.

"But what if they find something out about Charlie while I'm talking about my "issues"?"

"I'll call you." Alan said, putting his hand on his son's shoulder, "Besides, you shouldn't bottle up the emotions. You need to talk about them, like your brother does."

"Like he does now." Don said, closing his eyes, "Or did before I let him be kidnapped."

"Donald Alan. It is not your fault that Charlie was kidnapped. Never think that it is your fault." Alan scolded his son. There was a silence, then he let a slight smile cross his lips, "Couldn't sleep?"

Don shook his head, "You neither."

"How about we have some pancakes? It'll make us feel better." Alan said, awaiting his son's answer.

The answer took a bit of time before it came, "Sure. Sounds good."

* * *

Don and Alan walked into the office together.

"So, when is your session?" Alan asked.

"8." Don said, pressing the button in the elevator. "I still don't see why I need to go to the anger management class." He said rather angrily.

Alan raised an eyebrow at his son. "So, in an hour?" He looked at his watch, it was 7 am. Don nodded. Alan sighed, wondering how busy the FBI office would be so early in the morning.

The elevator door whooshed open and Alan was surprised to see Megan, David, and Colby all in the office already.

Megan saw them and waved.

Don quickly walked up to her, "Do you know something?"

"Sort of." She said, "We are close to finding out who wrote the letter to you." She smiled slightly, "You put a lot of people away eight years ago." She paused, _Though we would already know who sent it if we had Charlie here to help us._ She sighed. "What's up?"

"We couldn't' sleep." Alan said, "And I'm guessing that the three of you couldn't either."

Megan nodded, "Got it in one."

Alan looked at his watch again, "Donnie. You should leave now. You don't want to be late."

"Yes I do." Don grumbled. He turned and waved at them as he left to his meeting with other angry people.

"Where's he off too?" Megan inquired.

"He hasn't been going to his anger management and I simply told him that if he didn't he could lose his job."

* * *

Don slammed his car door angrily. He stormed into the room and sat down in one of the cold metal chairs. He sat silently as the rest of the chairs filled up.

A woman walked into the room, she seemed confident as she strode to the main chair. She looked around and smiled, "I see some new faces. That's good. Glad to know that some of you want to handle your anger better. Without hurting yourself or others."

_Others? _Don thought. _Himself?_ Don shook his head, wondering how many people in the room hurt themselves or others.

Her voice brought him back, "My name is Regina Harper. For those of you who are new here, you may call me Regina." She smiled at them all. "Let's go around and talk about why we are here and how far we've come." She looked at the person sitting next to her, "How about you start, Tim."

The man nodded, "Hi. I'm Tim.

"Hi Tim." Everyone said at once.

"And I've been here for four weeks now." Tim smiled, "And I'm doing fantastic. Yesterday when some people got on my nerves I didn't punch them."

"That's great Tim!" Regina said happily.

This type of thing continued, Don hated it. Everyone was so happy. Most everyone anyway. He looked out the window and sighed. He needed to be at the office, with his team and his dad, helping find Charlie. He jerked his head around when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. "What?"

"You're turn." The woman sitting beside him said.

Don sighed, "My names Don."

"Hi Don."

Don sighed inwardly. That was getting really annoying. "And I got sent here because I assaulted a guy."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Regina asked, leaning forward in her seat.

"No." Don growled at her.

"Now Don. That is not a good tone. We should talk about what makes you mad."

Don glared at her, "You wanna know? Really?" He scoffed, "I had every reason to beat up that man!"

Regina shook her head, "There are never any good reasons to hurt others or ourselves."

Don took a sharp intake of breath, "I had good reason. I bet that everyone else would have done the same thing if they had been in my place."

Regina glared back at him. "Don. I'd like to see you in the hallway right now." She stood up and walked out.

Don followed her. "What?" He said after they had closed the door to the room.

"I read in your file that you are an FBI Agent." Don nodded. "You have to pass this course in order to be able to interrogate people. Or have my okay."

"What?!" Don yelled. He kicked the wall. "That is not right!"

"Don. We need to talk about why you are so angry."

Don turned on her, "You wanna know? You wanna know why I assaulted the guy and why I wanted to kill him?" She nodded, not one bit afraid of him, "He put my brother through ECT sessions and now he had kidnapped my brother and is probably torturing him to death! I cannot help find my brother because I had assaulted him! I have ever right to be angry at the bastard!"

Regina opened her mouth, then closed it. Opening it again, and then closing. "I. Uh. Well ..."

Don nodded, taking a step back from her, ""I Uh Well" is right."

Regina sighed and put her hands on her hips. "Alright, Don. I'll make a deal with you. You do need some management, but I don't think that group therapy will help you. I'd say that instead we meet in private. I don't know what is all going on but it seems as if you do have some reasons for being angry. But you still should not assault people, Don." She sighed and looked him in the eyes, "How about on the days that we have the class you don't show up at 8 am but at 5 pm? And then you and I will talk. I will help you manage your anger on a one on one class. Do we have a deal?"

Don thought about it, "So, I'd have to come here at 5?"

She nodded, "But after we work through some of the beginnings of your problem we may put you back into the group sessions because you need to see that you aren't the only one who gets really angry."

Don nodded, "Yeah. That should work. I'll see you at 5 then?"

Regina smiled, "Yes." She pulled a card from her pocket, "But if for some reason you can't make it, call and we will reschedule."

Don shook his head with a slight smile, "Can't wait to tell Charlie that I'm seeing a shrink too." Regina raised her eyebrow, "Well, I have to go. See ya." He turned and walked off, leaving Regina to go back to her room with all the angry people.

* * *

Don walked back into the office. He saw his dad staring at a full cup of coffee. "Dad?"

Alan looked up and smiled, "Donnie. How was the class?"

Don shrugged, "I got pulled from it. Got to do some one on one with the teacher for a bit. I guess I'm too angry and negative for the class."

Alan nodded, "I can see why you would be. With everything that is going on."

"Anything new?"

Alan shook his head, "No, but it's only 9."

As if on cue, Colby came running into the office, "We've got him!"

"You've got Charlie?" Don asked quickly.

Colby stopped in his tracks, "Uh. No. That's not what I meant. I wish it was."

"So, what do you have?" David asked, walking over from his desk.

"We know who sent Don the letter." He opened the file and read aloud, "Nicholas Roland. Age 33. He's been in and out of trouble since he was 12 and Don had put him in prison eight years ago for kidnapping and torture with murder."

"Roland?" Don asked as Colby nodded. "Does he have any siblings?"

Colby looked down and flipped some papers over, "Yeah. One. Older brother. They are one year apart. The brothers name is-" Colby's eyes grew, "Shit."

Don sighed and punched his desk.

Alan looked around, "What is it?"

Megan took the file, "Alan, Nicholas's brother is Harry Roland. Charlie's doctor."

"Let's get him in here." David said, "He's got to know something."

* * *

Don sat behind the one way mirror, he glared at the man in the other room.

Dr. Harry Roland was sitting in a chair while Colby and David where leaning against the wall.

"State your name for identification." David said, moving forward.

"Dr. Harry Roland."

"Dr. Roland," Colby stared, sitting down across from the man, "Is your brother one Nicholas Roland?"

"Yes. He is a year younger than me." He paused and looked from one agent to the other, "Is that about Nick? What did he do now?"

"We'll get to that in a second." David said, "Do you know where your brother is?"

Harry sighed, thinking. "Last I knew he got out of prison and was living with our mom."

"And where does mom live?"

"Las Vegas. She runs a show there."

"Would you do anything to help your brother?" Colby asked, cutting to the chase.

"No." He shook his head, "No way. I've drawn a line before and he knows where that is. After he gets too deep he knows not to come to me."

"Not very loving of you." Colby said simply. "Not all that brotherly."

"Nick's always been in trouble. I've tried to help him get on track many times."

"Alright." David said, "So, where is this line drawn at?"

Harry sighed, "Well about 8 or 9 years ago he asked for half a mill, I paid it and then about a week later he asked for another half. I told him no and I asked him what he had gotten himself into."

"And?"

"He told me that he had kidnapped a bunch of people. I asked if he was the person I had been reading about on the news."

"He said ...?"

"That he was. I told him to get the hell out of my house and then I called the Feds. The next day I found out that you all captured him and found some of his victims still alive." He paused, "So, what is this about?"

"Did you ever give Nick any drugs?"

"What?"

"Have you ever given your brother drugs that only a physiatrist would be able to get?" Colby asked, glaring.

"No. I would never do that. I haven't talked to him since I threw him out of my house years ago. And the last time I saw was in court."

"He hasn't tried to contact you?" David asked.

"No. What is this about?" Harry asked again, when no one answered him, he thought about it. His mouth dropped open, "You think that Nick is the one who took Charlie? Don't you?"

"We can't really tell you that." David answered.

Harry sighed, "I would never hurt Charlie. I would never give my brother drugs. I have not seen or spoken to my brother in eight or so years." He looked at the two agents, "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Yeah. What's your mom's address?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: -cries- Where have all my reviewers gone? For the past three chapters the only person who has reviewed is luvnumb3rs. I want others to review ... Please.  
Or is my story so horrible that a bunch of you quit reading it?  
And I am sorry for the late update. But Thanksgiving was two days ago and so I was busy with that and writing other stories.  
But on some great news my cousin is out of the hospital! She got out on Thanksgiving. The stupid doctors said that she was only going to be in there for 5 days, but she was in there for 10!  
'Twas her 7th major surgery in 4 years!  
And she's only 18!  
I'm just glad that she is better.  
And one more reason for the late update - was not letting me upload anything last night.  
On with the story! Tally-ho!**

* * *

Tirry walked into the air conditioning and looked around. He waved to Max Vivi as he walked up to him. "Hello Max."

"Mathew Charles. Great to see you again." He paused, "I'd like you to meet my friend Frank." He waved to a man, who walked up next to Tirry, "Hey, Frank. This is Mathew Charles Don. Mathew Charles this is Frank Haley."

"Nice to meet cha' M.C." Frank said, shaking Tirry's hand.

Max turned to Tirry, "Oh. Do you mind if Frank calls you M.C.?"

"No not at all." Tirry smiled, "I was actually hoping to get a hammer here ..."

Frank chuckled. "M.C. Hammer. Hey, M.C., mind if I call ya Hammer?"

Tirry shrugged, "That will be fine."

Max grinned, "Ah, the nicknames that Frank gives people stick and everyone calls them by that. So, if you let him call you Hammer, then everyone will know you as Hammer."

Tirry nodded, grinning. "That would be just fine." _It'd be a better cover._ "So, where are your hammers?"

"In back, to the left." Max said, as Tirry nodded his thanks and went in back.

There were so many hammers to choose from, but it didn't really matter to him. He just needed a hammer for Charlie. He grabbed the cheapest one and walked up front, "Hey, where could I get a lot of ice?"

Max raised an eyebrow, "Lot of ice, what for?"

"My fridge broke." Tirry sighed, "I've got a bunch of coolers already and I've already ordered a new fridge. Now all I need is a lot of ice."

"Try the gas station n' the bar." Frank voiced up. "They should have enough ice for ya."

"Alright. I'll try that." Tirry paid the amount of money for the hammer and left to go and get lots of ice.

* * *

Charlie opened his eyes when he heard the noise. He stared at the person in confusion, "Dr. Roland?"

"Hello, Charlie." Dr. Roland smiled, sitting down next to the math professor, "How are you holding up?"

Charlie blinked, "I'm trying to stay strong. Till Donnie comes ... but now that you're here I don't have to do, right? You can get me out of here." He stared up the doctor, awaiting an answer.

The doctor sighed and shook his head, "Sorry, Charlie. I can't do that. But I did bring someone who wants to see you. And I know you want to see her."  
Out of the shadows came Charlie's mom. He stared at her, drinking in the sights of his diseased mother. "How?" He swallowed, "Am I dead?"

She shook her head and sat down next to Dr. Roland, she had tears in her eyes, "Oh, Charlie. It hurts to see you like this."

Charlie looked from the doctor to his mom, "Wh-What's going on?"

"Think." Margaret said, "You know the answer. I know you do."

Charlie thought about it. He wasn't dead. Unless they had lied to him. But Dr. Roland wasn't dead, right? How could Dr. Roland see his mom? How could he see them? It just didn't make any sense, "I-I don't know." He was almost crying, "Mom, my mind. It's - I'm. Mom, I'm crazy. I see things sometimes." He paused, "Neither of you are here. I'm hallucinating." The two of them nodded. "This is. No. I want to be strong, if I see you, then I'm not strong." His voice cracked.

Margaret reached out to Charlie, but stopped herself before she could actually touch him, "It wouldn't do either of us any good if I went to hug you, baby. I'm not really here."

"I wish I wasn't really here." Charlie said softly. He closed his eyes. He didn't want to see them anymore. "Go away." He said to himself. He was openly crying now. It hurt too much to see his mom. She wasn't there. She would never be there, not ever again.

He heard something before he drifted into darkness. It was his mom's voice, "Everything is going to alright. I love you, Charlie. And I miss you."

He woke up later, freezing. He was numb. He'd never been this cold before. He looked down toward his body. It was a pale blue. He didn't know his skin could look like that while he was alive. He looked closer at his body and noticed that he was surrounded by ice. Lots of ice.

"Sorry Chuck," Tirry said when he noticed that Charlie was awake, "But we've got to do two tortures today. Cold and heat." He shrugged, "That alright with you?"

Charlie's teeth where chattering, "N-N-No-o."

"Too bad." Tirry smiled, "You seem cold enough, yeah? I'll be right back." He went upstairs quickly.

10.641592653589 + seeing two people who aren't there + ice  
10.641592653589 + 2 + 1 is 13.641592653589

Charlie looked down at his body again. He sighed. At least the ice had stopped the blood flow from his wounds.

He saw something from the corner of his eyes, he turned his head slowly, painfully. "No. You can't be here! You can't!" He yelled at his brother, "You can't see what he does to me!" He closed his eyes when he saw that Don was walking closer.

13.641592653589 + Don  
13.641592653589 + 1 is 14.641592653589

He did the math in his head, when he opened his eyes again, Don was gone. He let out a sigh of refleif. But then he heard another noise. Not another hallucination! Charlie turned his head and saw Tirry smiling down at him with something in his hands. He blinked up at the man.

"The only bad thing about this is that you won't feel it right away, due to the ice. But in time you will. It will be horrible pain too."

Charlie realized what he was holding. "A pot?"

Tirry nodded. "It holds 4 gallons of water."

"W-water?" Charlie asked, confused.

"Boiling water." Tirry's eyes widend in delight as he started to pour it over Charlie and the ice.

Tirry was right, Charlie didn't feel anything. He was still numb from the ice. But he knew that when he would regain feeling that he would be hurting from the burn. The burn that didn't show up other than it would make his skin red with heat. He watched as the ice melted. Charlie also knew that the ice and the water would make the dirt floor mud, and he tried to think of a way to use that to his advantage.

Charlie looked around and saw that Tirry was gone. He tried to shrug. At least he was alone now.

14.641592653589 + 4 galons of boiling water  
14.641592653589 + 4 is 18.641592653589  
18.641592653589 + one more day of torture  
18.641592653589 + 1 is 19.641592653589

He knew that he had to stay strong. He knew that Don and the other's where looking for him. They were right? Or was his hallucinations trying to tell him that he was all by himself. That he had to save himself. How could he save himself? He was hurt, beaten, broken, and chained down. It hurt just to breath.

It hurt ... Great. Feeling was coming back.

Charlie could tell because the numbness was turning into a stinging.

* * *

Ben Tirry looked at his fridge. He had ordered a new one. It was due to come in a few days. So, before he installed the new one, he'd take his new hammer and break the old one.

He listened closely and smiled. He had left the opening to the basement open, so that he could hear Charlie. He seemed to be talking to himself, and moaning in pain. Tirry grinned. Charlie was breaking easily.

He glanced at his hammer, tomorrow would be blunt.

Tirry looked at his watch. Hm. Maybe he'd just get all the basics over with in one day. Blunt and sharp. He'd probably to sharp first, then when he did blunt, he could aim for the cuts.

Tirry got up when he heard his microwave beep. The popcorn was done.

* * *

Charlie's stomach growled. He smelt popcorn. He looked around and saw that he didn't have his slice of bread and glass of water anywhere. He hadn't eaten in days, because his bread and water kept getting messed up.

He noticed that the latch was open, he could see light. That was why he could smell the popcorn. He had to hope that Tirry would hear him, that Tirry would listen.

"Tirry." he pleaded, "Y-You haven't given me my b-bread." It was quiet, "I-I'm hungry. P-Please."

Tirry heard him and he could have jumped for joy, hearing the younger man beg.

"T-Tirry. Please. I-I'm... P-Please." Charlie moaned.

"If you'd shut up." Tirry replied as he got up and grabbed a slice of bread and a small glass of water. He slowly went down into the darkness.

He put the bread and water down, just out of Charlie's reach. "There you go, you idiot."

Charlie stared up at him.

"That's right. You're in idiot." Tirry grinned, "The great Chuck Eppes that I know wouldn't have let me drug him and bring him here in the first place. He would have already calculated a way to deafeat me. You are nothing now. That's why no one has come to save you. You don't matter to them. You have used up your function as a genius. They realized that you became an idiot, so they've moved on." Tirry turned and left his words soak into the young genius. He closed the hatch when he left, then he started eating his popcorn again.

Charlie closed his eyes as tears began to fall. Tirry was right. No one was coming for him. He knew that now. He was an idiot. He was nothing. He was a nobody. Except to Tirry. To Tirry he was a form of amusement. He brought Tirry joy.

Charlie knew he was sick when he thought that at least he could make Tirry happy, before he faded away.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: Yay! -dances- more than luvnumb3rs reviewing! Thanks to luvnumb3rs, NeverEndingSugarHigh, SyberiaWinx and for their reviews last chapter.**

* * *

Don and Alan were waiting in the office, they could hear everything that was happening.

Don just wished he could be there too, but his week wasn't up yet. He still had one more day before he was an FBI Agent again.

He turned to his dad. "So, this is what it feels like to be you."

Alan chuckled, "Sucks, doesn't it, Son?"

Don nodded, "Yeah." He sighed and stared getting nervous. "Dad?"

"Hm?"

"What is this doesn't pan out? What if Nicholas isn't the guy who took Charlie and Tirry did and we still have no idea where Tirry is? Or what if Nicholas did but he left and now we can't find him either? What if we don't get Charlie back in time? What if-"

"Don." Alan said in a firm voice, "You're starting to sound like me. Stop it."

Don sighed, "Sorry dad. Just loosing my cool, not being in this case and everything. I feel like I'm not trying my hardest to find him. And. And if we find Charlie and it's too late, It will all be my fault."

Alan shook his head, "It will not be your fault. It is not your fault at all. Charlie will be found. Alive and well."

"How do you know?"

"You've just got to believe." Alan answered his son.

Static crackled. "Don, Alan? Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Megan." Don said.

"Alright. Let's go." Megan's voice sounded far away. This was a tough case on her. It was starting to take a toll. She wasn't sleeping or eating well. She sighed, she now understood why Don would work all night at office just to solve a case. She had never been a lead agent before, it was hard. But it would be worth all the pain when she found Charlie. Alive.

She stared at the nice house in front of her and the team, "Come on, Colby. Let's go and pay them a visit."

Colby nodded as the two of them made their way to the front door. He stood to the left of Megan and knocked professionally. He hoped that this would pan out. He missed the Wiz Kid. Charlie seemed like a brother to him, sure, Charlie kinda freaked him out the first time he met him (he started talking about cheese), but he grew to like the kid.

The door slowly opened and an older woman stood there in a nice green sweater and make-up to match. "Yes? Can I help you?" He voice had a clarity, full of self ego.

"I'm Special Agent Megan Reeves and this is Special Agent Colby Granger." Megan showed her badge, "Is Nicholas Roland home?"

"Y-Yes." He voice wasn't as strong as before, "What is this about? Nicky hasn't done anything since he got out ..."

"Ma'am. May we please come and talk to him? It's very important." Colby said.

She nodded slowly and backed up from the door, in a daze. "Nicky is in the sitting room." She turned, "I'll take you to him."

"This is too easy." Colby muttered to Megan who agreed with him.

They walked into a vast room and they saw a man who looked a lot like Harry Roland sitting on a couch, reading a book.

"Nicky?"

He looked up and his eyes grew. "Wh-What's going on?"

"Nicky, this is the FBI ... They want to talk to you." The mother said slowly.

Nicholas dropped the book, "Dude, guys. I haven't done anything! I'm clean! I'm clean!"

Megan glared at him, "Will you stand up? You are under arrest."

"What? I told you!" He pleaded, fear in his voice, "I haven't done anything!"

"What?" The mother asked, getting more emotion in her voice, "What did Nicky do?"

"I didn't do anything!"

Colby walked up to Nicholas and turned him around, "You are under arrest for kidnapping. You have the right to remain silent. But I sure as hell wouldn't do that if I was you." Colby growled.

"Don. We have Nicholas." Megan said while Colby escorted the man outside.

Don's voice crackled when he spoke back to her, "What? That was too easy."

She sighed, "I know. He didn't even try to run."

"Alright. Feel free to question him there in Las Vegas, incase he's got Charlie there with him."

"Sounds, good Don. I'll let you know." Megan replied.

"Thanks." Don said.

Megan and Colby took Nicholas Roland to a police station, to the interrogation room.

"I didn't do nothin' man! Nothin'!" Nicholas pleaded as they set him down in a seat.

Colby raised an eyebrow. "You know, for some reason I don't believe that."

"B-But you have too. I'm innocent." He said quietly. "I haven't done nothin'."

"When was the last time you talked to your brother, Harry Roland?" Megan asked, sitting down across from Nicholas.

He paused, "About 8 years. Why? Has Harry done something?" Nick looked shocked.

"Harry hasn't done anything." Colby sighed, he put two pictures on the table for Nick to see, "Have you ever seen either of these men?"

Nicholas looked at the two pictures. One of the men had lots of dark curly hair while the other had a come-over. "No, man. Sorry. I haven't ever seen either of them."

Colby punched the table, "Tell the truth! I know that you've seen them! You've had too!"

Megan got up and put a hand on Colby's shoulder, "Calm down, or I'll have to bring David in. Do you want to be taking management classes with Don?"

"Don?" Nicholas asked, "As in Agent Don Eppes?" He paused, "Oh. I see."

"You see?" Megan asked, "What do you see?"

"Why I'm here." Nicholas smiled and leaned back in his chair. "It's that letter, isn't it." He paused, "That wasn't supposed to be sent."

"Then tell me, how did it get sent to Don?" Megan inquired.

He sighed, "My therapist told me that I had some anger issues and that I should do something about it. He proposed the idea to write a letter to the one person I hate the most, but don't send it. Just write it, so that it'd make me feel better, then throw it away."

"Yeah, and?" Colby asked, annoyed.

"My mom must have seen it. I had it in an envelope and everything. She must have put a stamp on it and put it in the mail box." He said easily. "Simple as that. I haven't done anything."

Colby sighed and growled something under his breath, storming out of the room.

Megan sighed and picked up the pictures, "You are not off the hook." She told Nicholas as she left the room, going after Colby.

She found him talking on his cell phone.

"Yeah. I know... Pisses me off too! I was for sure this was the guy ... Hey, man. No problem." Colby turned and saw Megan there, he sighed. "Yeah. Back at square one then. Yeah. Talk to you later, Don." He hung up. "I just informed Don that Nicholas might not be our guy."

Megan nodded, "Back at square one."

Colby snorted slightly and shook his head.

Megan raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"I was just thinking."

"Yeah?"

"I was just thinking that at this point in a case, we would call the Wiz Kid in to help find Tirry and ... well ... the Wiz Kid." Colby sighed and hung his head.

Megan nodded, sad smile on her face, "Yes. Charlie would be a lot of help, I'm sure." She looked at her watch, "Well, this didn't pan out. We'd better get back to L.A. I want someone to stay on Nicholas and keep him under surveillance." She said the latter part loud enough for all the Agents in the room to hear.

"I'll do it." Replied one of the Agent's who went with them.

"Alright. Tony. Call in as many other Agent's you want. Just, Just know where Nicholas is at all times. Keep tap on his phone and everything." Megan said, as she walked out of the building to her car.

It was her fault that everything wasn't working. She was the lead agent. It's her fault. Or, that's how Megan felt. She felt like she was letting all the Eppes men down, especially Charlie. She shook her head, to clear her thoughts. How many times as she told Don that when a case went sour that it wasn't his fault? The case wasn't sour yet and she was already thinking that when they found Charlie dead, that it would be her fault.

* * *

"Dad ..." Don began slowly after he got off the phone with Colby.

"Did they find Charlie?" Alan asked, flustered. "Is he alright? He's not ..."

Don shook his head, "The guy didn't take Charlie. We have no idea where he is. Dad ..."

Alan put a hand on Don's shoulder, "Don't worry." He smiled sadly, "You're team will find him. And just think, tomorrow you will be able to actually help with it."

"Desk duty still, dad." Don reminded him, "I can't do much at all."

"You'll be doing more than you are now, son."

Don sighed and rubbed his forehead with his hands, "It's just. This sucks."

"That's the understatement of the year." Alan snorted.

"Anyway," Don went on talking, "Now we think it's Tirry again. But the problem is we have no freaken' idea as too where the bastard is!"

"Watch your temper."

Don slumped in his chair, "Yeah. Yeah. Whatever." He grumbled.

"Donnie. Just keep believing. Because with you going around the way you, it's making it very hard for me keep up my hope for your brother." Alan scolded his eldest.

Don sighed and laid his head in arms, laying on his desk a bit, "Fine. I'll be a better sport then. For Charlie. Because when he comes back he's going to need a brother who is there for him."

Alan nodded, "Yes, he will."

Don sighed and closed his eyes. He was so tired. He hadn't been able to sleep much, out of worry. But now, he just couldn't stop himself from falling asleep.

_Don was in a large room, all the lights where out. He couldn't see a thing. "Hello?" He called out. "Hello?"_

_"Donnie." He heard Charlie's voice._

_"Charlie?! Buddy?! Where are you?!" Don asked, trying to find his brother in the darkness._

_A light appeared and he saw Charlie. He was white as snow, his dark curly hair was straight and a mess from blood. He's eyes were sunken in, he was skin and bones. Don didn't think he could see anyone so skinny. Charlie was bleeding from his mouth, his teeth stained red, he was bleeding from his eyes, nose, and ears as well. He was tied up against the wall. "Oh. God. Charlie!" He started running to his brother, but no matter how fast he ran, he could not catch up. "Charlie!"_

_"Donnie. I knew you hated me. I've always known."_

_Don stopped running, "Hate you? I don't hate you, Charlie! I've never hated you!"_

_Charlie nodded, "Yes, you've hated me since you all found out that I was special. And then your hate for me grew when I tried to kill myself. And so you let me get kidnapped. Thinking that I deserved the pain and the torture."_

_"Never! I've been trying to find you, buddy! Really!"_

_A man stepped out of the shadows, it was Tirry, "Really? Charlie doesn't believe you anymore. He only believes me. He only obeys me. He is mine, body and soul."_

_"No! Charlie! Don't listen to him! I love you! Please believe me!"_

_"Charlie," Tirry said with a malicious smile on his face, "You know your brother more than anyone. Think of how he treated you in high school. Think of how he has only used you, your whole life."_

_"I haven't! No!"_

_"Don." Charlie said, his eyes wide and streaming blood, "It's alright that you hate me. I understand why you let this happen to me." He grinned, his red teeth gleaming in the pale light, "And I hate you too. Goodbye Donnie." Somehow, Charlie was untied and he had a gun in his hand. It was Don's gun and Don had to watch as Charlie brought it up to his temple and his finger flexed around the trigger._

Don woke up with a scream, panting. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head and saw his dad. He bit his lip and got up, "I'm going home!" He yelled, storming out of the office.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: I love reviews.  
**

* * *

"Charlie." Don's voice spoke to him, "I don't hate you."

"Liar!" Charlie yelled at his brother, a form that only he could see. "You won't come for me! I just mess up people's lives. I understand why you hate me. It's fine. Hate me. I don't care. It doesn't hurt inside anymore."

Don shook his head, changing form. "Do you know how much your mother hated you?"

Charlie had to choke back the tears when his dad told him that, "It's because I wasn't with her. I'm horrible."

"Yes. You are."

His form changed back to Don. "You know, Charlie. I have been thinking about it. And I do hate you."

Charlie watched as Don's hair grew, how he turned into Amita. She was crying. "And because of you, I had to move away from L.A. It's you're fault, you know."

Charlie closed his eyes and sighed. It was his fault. Everyone hated him. He knew it. "A-Amita. If I could die - I would."

He opened his eyes and saw his mom instead of Amita. "But I don't want you to die, baby. Because if you die, then I'd have to spend eternity with you."

Charlie bit his lip from the pain. All the pain, it was getting too much. He hadn't even tried to get his bread and water, he just left it lay there. He didn't deserve to eat. He didn't deserve to be free. He deserved this, he wanted it.

"Charlie." He looked and saw Megan. "Stop it. I still believe in you."

"That's just because you haven't been around me long enough for me to ruin your life."

"I'll come and save you."

"No. Don't." He turned over, his chain's clattering, "Leave me alone!" He wanted to get away from it all. Just go inside himself. He had too, in order to save himself. Did he want to save himself? That was the question he kept asking. What did he want? Did he even want anything? He wanted peace.

He soon got it when he let sleep take him.

* * *

Tirry had put a walkie-talkie in the basement, so that he could listen in whenever he wanted. He found it very amusing. Charlie was talking to himself. Broken so easily. Tirry chuckled to himself and grabbed his hammer. That's all he'd be needing today. He made his way to the basement with ease. He turned on a lamp and looked down at the broken body on the floor. He was covered in mud from all the water.

Tirry walked up to a sleeping Charlie and decided that it was time to wake up. He drew back his hand and slapped Charlie across the face.

Charlie woke up started, rattling the chains. He opened his eyes and saw Tirry smiling maliciously down at him.

"Oh, you're up. Good." Tirry said happily, "On with the show then, Chuck." He grabbed the hammer in his hand. The claws facing the younger man. "Now stay still. This will only hurt a little." He moved his arm with practiced ease, the claws digging into Charlie's flesh and savoring it.

His scream was inhuman as Tirry drug the claws out of Charlie side, ready to do more damage. Again, he swung the claw end at Charlie, hitting the mark, again and again.

Charlie cries never stopped.

Tirry's laugh never stopped.

He pulled the claws out one last time and looked down at his work. "Well, that was sharp enough." He smiled, turning the hammer around, "Ready for blunt?"

Charlie whimpered in fear. He had to do something. But he couldn't bring himself to move his body, it was so heavy, his sight was getting fuzzy.

He felt a slap on his face again, this time it broke his nose. "Stay awake, now, Chuck! I can't have you unconscious for this! How would that be fun?"

Charlie watched at the head of the hammer came down and met his body, he felt it hit and he cried out in pain. It was an awful feeling. He just wanted it get it all over with. He wanted Don to come and save him. Even if Don hated him, he wanted to be out of Tirry's grasp.

The hammer came down again, making blood fly, making bruises appear, making bones bend and groan against the slam of the hammer.

When Tirry was done, it was hard to tell who the young man was. Tirry smiled and looked down at the hammer, it was full of blood, he threw it to a corner of the room before facing Charlie, "Hey, Chuck. We're done with the basics now. Tomorrow we shall begin the real fun!" He chuckled to himself, "Now, just don't go and loose too much blood. I can't have dying on me now." He laughed as he turned out the light and made his way upstairs.

Charlie stared into the darkness.

_18.641592653589 plus hallucinating a total of 5 people, Don twice plus the sharp plus the blunt  
18.641592653589 + 5 + 1 +1 is 25.641592653589_

_25.641592653589 plus a broken nose plus getting slapped twice  
25.641592653589 + 1 + 2 is 28.641592653589_

The math was calming Charlie down. He was in so much pain. So, once again, he let sleep take over. He didn't try to fight and stay awake. There was no use.

* * *

Tirry sat down in his living area, laughing. He remembered the professor's cries. They were almost unearthly. He had never heard anything like it. He was amazed at the sound when he first heard it. Then he was very glad that the room was soundproofed so well.

At least, that's what he thought ...

* * *

Jesse was playing with his best friend, Luke in the cemetery. It was dusk and they knew that they probably should have been on their way home before their parent's got made at them. But they were only 7 years old and they knew how to get of the hook with their parents, so they stayed out longer.

"Jesse!" Luke yelled out, pointing at a gravestone.

Jesse ran over to his friend, "Wow!" He read the name, "Casper! You mean the friendly ghost?"

Luke nodded, "Yeah! I didn't know that Casper the friendly ghost was buried here in out town!"

"Me neither!" Both the boys shared a smile, until they heard that noise.

They both jumped and turned to the ex-one room school house.

"That's where Hammer lives." Luke informed Jesse. "My daddy told me."

"Hammer? That's his name?"

"My dad gave him the nickname. I met him earlier. He's a kinda creepy man. Like he's hiding something."

"Did you tell you're dad?" Jesse asked, shaking with slight fear.

"Yeah. But you know who grown-ups are. They didn't believe me." Luke answered his friend. "Do you think he's killing people then burring them in the graveyard?"

"It's be a good cover. Living next to one." Jesse paused, "I-I think we should be getting home now."

Luke nodded and they started backing out, not watching where they were going, they fell in a freshly dug grave.

"He's out for us!" Luke cried out.

Jesse was clutching his leg, "Ouch. Luke. I'm hurt!"

* * *

Tirry heard some noises outside, he put down his soda and went out to investigate. What if they heard Charlie? He wasn't for sure how well the soundproof was, so he had to make sure that no one heard. Then his fun would be over very quickly.

"Hello?" He listend and heard some whispering.

Following the whispers it took him to a newly dug grave. "Hello boys."

Luke and Jesse swallowed. It was him. The killer. He knew they heard. "H-Hello." Luke said.

"Do you two need some help?" He smiled down at them, holding out his hand.

The two boys looked at eachother and decided that they had to trust this man, for now. Luke stood up, "Uh. Mister, Jesse hurt his leg."

Tirry chewed on his lip thoughtfully, "I'll be right back." He went back to his house and grabbed a ladder that he had. He brought it back to the two boys as quickly as he could. "Move out of the way, I'm putting this down."

Luke grabbed Jesse and drug him out of the way as the ladder hit the soft dirt floor.

Tirry climbed down, "Why don't you start on up," He told Luke, "And I'll carry your friend up."

Luke nodded, afraid of Tirry. He did as he was told and soon Luke was not six feet below.

Tirry managed getting him and Jesse out of the perdicament easily enough. He laid Jesse down on the ground and took out his cell phone. "What are you're phone numbers?"

Luke told Tirry his phone number and told Luke's parents what happened. Then he did the same with Jesse's family.

Soon the cars arrived and the parent's went running to their kids.

Frank walked up to Tirry and clapped him on the back, "Thanks, Hammer. You saved our sons. They were late, but none of us thought anything of it because they often stay out longer than we want them too. You have no idea how grateful we all are."

The other three parents nodded in agreement, helping their kids.

Tirry shrugged, "It's alright. I thought I heard something so I went to check it out."

"Say think you to Hammer." Frank told Luke.

Luke shook his head, "No."

"Lucas." Frank scolded his son.

"But dad! A weird noise came from his house! It sounded like someone yelling!"

Tirry hid his anger quickly. The soundproof wasn't working as well as he had hoped. Tirry nodded quickly, "Yes. I heard it too. That's why I went to check on the noise. It didn't come from my house."

Luke glared at Tirry, he knew. He knew that it had come from his house. But once again, the grown-ups wouldn't believe him.

* * *

Tirry walked into his house after everyone had left. He'd have to check up on little Jesse, so that he seemed like a normal man.

He slammed his door shut and went straight downstairs, angry as hell itself. He glared down at the unconscious body.

He slapped him. Again and again. He kept slapping, even when the brown eyes opened with fear.

"You yelled to loud earlier, Chuck!" The slapping continued.

Charlie kept track of how many times he had been hit.

Tirry backed off after a length, out of breath. Glaring at Charlie. "Next time when you might yell, I will just have to gag you, Chuck." Tirry stomped up to the living area.

Charlie blinked, trying to get the blood out of his eyes. But it wasn't working.

_28.641592653589 plus one more day down  
28.641592653589 + 1 is 29.641592653589_

_29.641592653589 plus 23 more slaps  
29.641592653589 + 23 is 52.641592653589_

_52.641592653589 ... _


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: I bought a real cheap pair of gloves, then I cut the finger tips off. Now when it's cold I can keep my hands warm and I can still type. Yay!  
**

* * *

Megan yawned as she woke up to the darkness of the hotel room. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes as she stretched in the bed. Letting out a sigh, she got up, "Time to head back to L.A"

Megan and everyone with went with her to arrest Nicholas had stayed in the night in Las Vegas due to the interrogation taking hours. By the time they were done, everyone was tired, so they all got hotel rooms for the night.

She took a brisk shower and got dressed, and headed out the door, time to wake everyone else up, if they weren't already. They had to get back to L.A.

She knocked on all the doors of the FBI Agents, telling them all that it was time to get going. She knocked on Colby and David's last, joining them for the breakfast that they had brought to their room.

Colby just moved his cereal around in his bowl. "This sucks."

David nodded, taking a bite from his bagel, "Yeah. I know. And we have no idea where Tirry is."

"Cheer up guys." Megan told them, "We'll find Charlie."

"How do you know? How can you be so sure?" Colby asked.

Megan shrugged, "Call it intuition."

Colby shook his head, slight smile on his lips, "Just don't go and tell Charlie that you are physic."

David smiled, remembering the case when they had a physic help him. Charlie was less than ecstatic with the man.

When they were all done eating, all the FBI Agent's made their way to their vehicles. Time for the drive back. Megan sighed as she sat down in the driver's seat. She felt pretty good after last night's rest. She had slept better than she had since Charlie had been taken. It was probably because she was in a bed, not at the office. David was sitting next to her in the front seat while Colby took the back of the SUV.

And so they made their way back to L.A.

But on their way, Megan had to stop for gas. She told all the other Agent's to go ahead, they'd catch up with them later.

So, she pulled into the nearest gas station and started filling up the SUV.

It was a small town. Everyone seemed to know each other. Colby and David had gotten out to stretch their legs. Colby looked around and smiled, "Now, this reminds me of home."

David smiled, "Yeah. For you. L.A. is more like home for me."

"Small town vs. Big city." Colby put in as he took a deep breath, "Fresh air. Amazing."

David laughed at his friend, "Alright. I think you're getting cabin fever from being in the car for too long."

Colby chuckled.

Megan shook her head, happily listening to her two friends as she went inside to pay for the gas.

"But dad!" A small boy yelled, "Hammer is the reason for the noise!"

"I told you Luke!" The dad sternly said back, "The only reason why Hammer came out to save you and Jesse is because he heard the noise and went out to investigate."

"He's a liar! He came out because he heard us freaking out! He wanted to make sure that we hadn't heard the screams! He is probably plotting a way to kill me n' Jesse!"

Megan walked up with a smile, she was going to put the kid at ease. "Hello." She said, "Sorry, but I over heard."

The father nodded, understanding.

"Can I help in anyway?"

"Uh. Sorry to ask, but. Are you a traveler or something? I don't know you, so you must not live here."

Megan nodded, "Megan Reeves. On my way back to L.A. with by co-workers."

The man looked outside and the two men talking at the pump. "My name's Frank and this is my son Luke."

"Hello Luke."

"Hello Ms. Reeves."

Megan smiled, "Such manners."

Luke blushed, "Thank you."

"So, what is all this about?" She asked, with a raised eyebrow, bending down at Luke's level.

"My dad doesn't believe that Hammer is hurting people. But Jesse and I know." He stated matter-of-factly.

Frank sighed, "If he was trying to kill the both of you, then why would he save you two? And call us?"

Luke looked down at the floor, "I-I don't know. But the screams came from Hammer's house!"

Megan sighed, "Who is Hammer?"

Frank smiled. "He's just a friend. I gave him the nickname. His real name is Mathew Charles." He paused, "Mathew Charles Don."

Megan looked up and swallowed. His name was a coincidence, right? She shook her head as she heard Charlie's voice telling her that there was no such thing as a coincidence. "Can you tell me more about this man?"

Frank blinked at Megan, "Uh. Sure. He moved in last week. He lives about two miles outside of town in an old one room school house with a cemetery right next to it. Uh. That's about all I can tell you."

Megan looked outside and saw that David and Colby were looking at her confused. "I'll be right back." She told Frank, running outside.

"Colby! David!" She yelled, running up to them, "Get me the picture of Tirry! Now!"

David quickly grabbed the picture and she took it, running back inside.

"What is she doing?" Colby asked.

David shrugged, "Let's go and see." They followed her inside the gas station.

Megan stood in front of Luke and Frank, holding up the picture, "Is this Mathew Charles Don aka Hammer?"

Frank nodded, baffled, "Ms. What is this all about?"

Megan flashed her FBI Badge, "This man is not Mathew Charles Don. He is Ben Tirry and he is a suspect in a kidnapping case."

Frank's eyes widened in horror. "No. It can't be. He's such a normal guy."

"You need to take us to his house." Colby said, flashing his badge as well. "This is urgent."

Frank nodded slowly. "Luke. I want you to go home. Stay with your mom." He paused, "You guys are going to have to get Hammer to open the door for you, right? Because if you say that you're the FBI, he probably isn't going to open up and he may just go and kill the man he has kidnapped." Frank believed the Agents, he now believed his son as well.

David nodded. "You're right. What are we going to say?"

Frank swallowed, "I heard him say that he had ordered a new fridge ..."

"Perfect!" Megan smiled, turning to David, "Call Don, tell him to get here ASAP."

David nodded, getting out his cell phone.

Megan turned back to Frank, "Tell us how to get to his house." Frank told them and Megan nodded, "Thanks for all the help." She left the amount of money of the gas she got on the counter as the three FBI Agents walked out. They were on a mission.

* * *

Don answered his phone, "Eppes."

"Don." David said excited. "I think we found him!"

Don sat up on the couch. Alan raised his eye brows at his son's sudden movement. "You did?"

"Tirry. We think we found Tirry. And maybe Charlie. You need to get here right away. It's not too far from L.A."

"Tell me!" Don said, standing up.

David told him how to get to the town and where they would meet him.

Don hung up the phone and turned to his dad, a shock showing on his face, "They think they found Charlie."

Don rushed to his car keys, "Come on, Dad. Let's go." He was going to get his brother back. Everything was going to be alright. It had to be alright. Charlie would be fine. He wouldn't be hurt, he wouldn't have had a relapse. He would be fine. It would all be fine. He had to believe that.

Alan followed his son to his SUV. He was worried for Charlie. He hoped that this wasn't a false alarm. Get his hopes up for nothing. It couldn't be a false alarm. It had to be real. They had to find his son before it was too late. It if wasn't too late already.

The ride to the town was quiet. It was fast. Don had his lights flashing, so that he could break the speed limit and the laws of gravity if he desired.

David had told him that he would wait until they got there. During the time while the other's waited for Don, they would be thinking up a plan to get in and save Charlie as easily as possible.

Don pulled up next to his team. He got out as fast as he could. "Where is he?"

Megan sighed and pointed to a place about a mile away, "Don, you can't go in."

"What?!" Don yelled, "I am going in to save my brother!"

"Don, you're still on desk duty. You can't. If you do, whatever we find in that place, we can't hold Tirry with it."

"But with Charlie's testament ..."

"Don, Tirry could be keeping Charlie somewhere else. This is just where he lives." David answered.

Don cursed, "Fine." He sighed, "Let's go."

Megan nodded and got everyone in on SUV, leaving the other one on the side of the road. "Everyone clear with what's going on?" Megan asked. "Colby is going to claim to be the delivery man with Tirry's new fridge, when Tirry comes out, Colby and David are going to grab him. I'm going inside to have a look right away. Don and Alan, you've got to stay back away from it all."

Everyone nodded, knowing their parts of the operation as they pulled to a stop in front of the one room school house turned home.

They all got out of the SUV and Colby headed for the door, David and Megan where ready, with their gun's out.

Don had his gun out too, but he stayed back, beside his dad. Worried as hell for his little brother.

Colby knocked in the door.

"Who is it?" A muffled voice sounded.

"Delivery for a," He paused, "Mr. Don. We've got your fridge out here."

The door opened and there stood Tirry.

Tirry looked at the man in front of him. He looked familiar. He couldn't place it ... until the man grabbed him and stuck a gun in his face. "Shit." He said, staring at the gun.

"Where is he?" Colby said, grabbing Tirry and turning him around, cuffing him.

Tirry knew it was over. He had a fun go at it. He smirked, "Don't bother. He's mine. Body and soul. You won't find him like you want." He chuckled, a cold heartless sound.

Megan left Tirry outside as she went into the house. The upstairs was normal-looking enough. She walked around and in one area of the floor, the boards creaked. She lifted up the rug and saw a trap door. She sighed, worried as she got out her flash light and descended into the darkness.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: Numb3rs is on tonight! Yay! Can't wait to watch it ... Just another 9 hours and 15 minutes till the episode. -laughs-**

* * *

"Charlie." Megan said, "Listen to me." 

But Charlie didn't want to listen to her, "Isn't that just like disappearing into the sum of yourself? A-And the person you are disappearing into?"

Megan sighed and sat down beside him, "Charlie. Stop this type of talking right now."

"It's like one plus one equals nothing at all. One plus two equals nothing at all." He paused and looked up as another Megan came into focus. "One plus me equals nothing at all." He looked at everyone in the room. All the people who hated him. "One plus you equals one plus you equals you and you and you and you and nothing at all." He shook his head, trying to get all the people to disappear. "Nothing at all." (1)

He looked around at all the faces as they started to disappear. He chuckled slightly, making him cough. Sending pain racking through his body, "Two Megan's? This is new." He smiled sadly, turning into sobs. "Nothing at all."

Megan had walked down the steps with her flash light. She had heard Charlie talking to himself. He stared down at him in horror. She couldn't trust herself to speak. He was shaking from God knows what. His eyes where unfocused and they moved all around the room. "Charlie?"

Charlie's eyes darted to Megan. "Th-This is the first time I've seen two of you." He paused, "Does that mean that my mind is splitting in two? I hope so. Th-Then maybe I can explain all this if I have two of me w-working on the problem." He nodded slowly. He didn't feel much pain anymore. The numbness was too great.

Megan walked up to him slowly and started to reach for Charlie, to calm him down and get the chains off. He needed medical help ASAP.

When her hand was just an inch away from his body, Charlie jerked back, into some of his own vomit, "No! Don't touch me!" He cried out, frightened. "You try to touch me and then you can't and then I know you aren't real and then I know that I'm alone and then I know that everyone hates me and they aren't coming for me and then I know that I'm all alone. I'm all alone." He was crying so hard.

Megan stared down at her friend. He heart broke when she heard him. "Charlie." She said soothingly, "It's Megan. And I'm really here."

Charlie shook his head, "Nu-uh. We've done this before, Megan." He nodded, "I remember it. Why?"

"Why what?" She asked, moving closer still.

"Why don't you hate me? Why are you the only one who will believe? It's stupid to believe." He said, "I stopped believing a long time ago."

Megan sighed and ran her hand through her hair. She was going to do it. She had to do it. So that he could accept what was happening. She quickly reached out and touched his face.

He jumped, eyes wide. "No! You can't be real! You can't! If you're real then this all really did happen and then everyone will know."

Megan looked him over, wanting to hug her friend, but she knew that she couldn't do that. Over his heart was the pi symbol, he had three bullet wounds and a lot of cuts and bruises, his body was red from some sort of burn. And there, what was that? The dark line that went from the corner of his mouth to his chin. It wasn't blood. Megan reached out slowly, touching the thick liquid. She knew what it was instantly. "Oh, God. Charlie." She stared into his frightened eyes.

* * *

Don sighed, "I'm going in." 

"Don." David said, "You know you can't."

"Megan's been in there for a long time. I've got to see what she found!" Don yelled, leaving his dad with the two FBI agents and Tirry.

Don stormed inside and immediately saw the hole in the floor. He held his breath, going down into the darkness with his flash light out.

* * *

Charlie looked beyond Megan. "No!" He yelled, backing up some more. "Don can't be here! Don can't see me! I'm not strong. I'm nothing! He can't see nothing!" He cried, backing away as far as his chains let him. 

Don stared down at his brother and felt the tears stand in his eyes. "Oh, God. Charlie." He said, walking forward. He wanted to hold onto his brother and keep him safe. This should have never happened to his fragile brother.

Megan stood up and got in Don's way. She sighed, "Don. I'm going to leave you here with him. Talk to him. H-He's been though a lot. I'm going to go call an ambulance." She gave Charlie one last sad smile before she went up.

Don couldn't feel his legs, they were like jelly. He found himself kneeling in a mixture of mud and blood. "Buddy ..."

"52.641592653589." Charlie said shaking his head. "52.641592653589 plus one more day plus oil plus two Megan's at once plus Megan being real plus Donnie." Charlie was rocking back and forth "57.641592653589."

"Charlie. Buddy." Don pleaded, "Calm down."

"57.641592653589. 57.641592653589."

Don could hear ambulance sirens. "Buddy? I need you to calm down."

"Hey, Don." Don turned and saw Colby staring at Charlie, his face pale. "Oh. God." He walked forward, "I uh. I've got the k-key ..." He held out a key and Don grabbed it.

Don cautiously moved toward his brother, "Buddy? I'm going to unlock the chains, alright?"

"57.641592653589." Was the only reply.

Don sighed as he unlocked the chains and took them off from around Charlie's neck and wrists.

Charlie could feel the difference. He looked around and saw Don and Colby. "No! Get out! You hate me! I'm nothing! You can't see me!" His voice cracked.

Colby was kneeling besides Don, "What the hell did Tirry do to him?"

Don shook his head, unsure when he heard some foot steps and saw more lights. He could feel being pulled back away from his brother by medics.

Megan was talking to one of them, "You've got to pump his stomach right away."

"And why is that? I figure keeping him stable would be our first priority."

Megan ran her hand through her hair again, "I have reason to believe that he's got oil in his stomach."

Don raised his eyebrows. That would be the dark stuff around Charlie's mouth. What had Tirry done to his brother? What would he have done if they hadn't found him? Don's eyes connected with Charlie's. He tried to sooth Charlie with his gaze. It seemed to be working. Charlie was calming down for the EMT's. They put him on a stretcher. One of the men walked up to Don, "We're taking him to the local hospital for now. But later I'm sure that you can take him to whatever hospital you desire."

Don nodded his thanks and followed them up from the basement. He watched as Megan hung up the phone. She turned to Don.

"The other agent's are coming back. They will transport Tirry to the holding cell." She paused, "I have to be here, as does Colby and David. But you and your dad can go to the hospital. Charlie will need you." She put a hand on Don's shoulder.

Don nodded, "Thanks Megan."

She smiled, "No problem Don. Just do one thing for me."

Don raised an eyebrow.

"Keep me in the loop with how Charlie's doing. I'll make sure that we all go and visit him before the day is through."

Don nodded, "Sounds great."

Megan watched Don go with his father and then she turned to the one room school house. She sighed as the local police showed up. It was the sheriff herself.

"I need to talk to the Agent in charge." She announced loudly.

Megan walked up to her, "Special Agent Megan Reeves. Lead Agent."

"Sandra Vivi. Sheriff." She paused, "Would you mind telling me what is going on?"

Megan nodded. "The man who was living here is under arrest. I believe you know him as Mathew Charles Don AKA "Hammer"?"

Sandra nodded. "Yes. He seemed like a nice guy..."

Megan snorted, "Have you ever been in his house?"

Sandra nodded again, "Yes. What does this--?"

"How about his basement?" Sandra shook her head, Megan continued, "Hammer's name is Ben Tirry. He kidnapped and tortured a math professor."

"Wh-What?" Sandra asked, her voice hollow. "A-Are you sure?"

Megan nodded.

"Is the math professor alright?"

"He's on his way to your hospital right now. He was in bad shape. He should make it." Megan paused, "Physically anyway."

Sandra looked around and saw Tirry in handcuffs, he was sitting between two agents. Megan watched as Sandra's face hardened. Megan followed the gaze.

"I had no idea that he was doing such things. If I had known ..."

Megan nodded. "Yes. I understand." She paused, "Now, if you will excuse me Sheriff Vivi, but I have to be getting to the crime scene."

Sandra nodded, still glaring at Tirry.

Tirry looked at Colby and David, the agent's guarding him. "How'd you find me? I thought I had covered my tracks very well."

"Not well enough, it seems." David answered.

"You're a sick bastard." Colby voiced.

Tirry shrugged. "It was fun while it lasted."

Tirry was not ready for what came next, Sandra had suddenly appeared next to him and she punched him in the face.

Colby laughed and David chuckled at Tirry's reaction. He had cried out in pain.

Sandra stopped herself before she punched him again.

* * *

Charlie had been through it before. He knew what it felt like. So he didn't protest any when the doctors stuck a tube down his throat and pumped his stomach. Getting all the oil that Tirry made him swallow leave. 

But while some where sticking a tube down his throat, some others where poking and prodding his body. Cleaning the wounds and looking at his chest.

They were sticking IV's into his body. He was malnourished and dehydrated. They also were giving him new blood. He had lost so much of it over the past week.

Charlie didn't think he had ever seen so many doctors before. It was frightening. He wanted to disappear and become nothing.

He felt so tired suddenly. Turning his head he saw at nurse leaving with an empty syringe in her hand. She had drugged him. No wonder he was so tired. They probably needed to him out for something. Maybe he'd die. And go to a limbo, where no one hated him.

Don watched all the doctors buzz around his brother with worry. Charlie was in such bad condition. But all Don had to do help himself feel better was to look at his brother. He watched as Charlie's eyes started to droop, too heavy to stay up. His face became slack, as sleep came over his little brother.

Don sat down in a chair, beside his father.

Alan was glad that they found Charlie alive. He never got a good look at his son, and he didn't know how bad the injuries where. On the way to the hospital, he had tried to get Don to tell him. But it was in vain. Don was too busy thinking, he hadn't heard his father's questions. Even now, Alan couldn't see the extent of his youngest son's wounds. "Donnie."

Don's head turned quickly, facing his father.

"How bad is he?" Alan asked.

Don sighed, rubbing his forehead with his left hand. "I. I don't know. He didn't look good down there in the dark. And." He swallowed, "And his talking. It didn't make any since."

Alan nodded, "I expected that. He's been though a lot, and he hasn't had his medication in quite a while." He paused, "We need to tell Dr. Roland." He stood up, "I'll go and call him. Telling him that we found Charlie."

Don watched his father leave. And not for the first time, Don wished that he had killed Tirry instead of just assaulting him. Don was thinking ways to kill the man when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up suddenly. "Y-Yes?"

Three men and two little boys where standing there. One of the boys had a cast on his leg.

"A-Are you Don Eppes?" Don nodded. The man continued to speak, "I'm Max Vivi. My wife is the sheriff and we just want to tell you that we're sorry."

"Sorry? What for?"

"We didn't believe our sons." One of the other men said, his hand resting on the boy with the broken leg's shoulder. "They had told us that Hammer was not right. That there was something happening at his house."

The third man looked into the room where Charlie was, "He's your brother?"

Don nodded sadly. He looked at the two boys, "I was told by one of my friends that one of you helped find my brother."

The boy without the cast nodded. "My dad and I." He looked up at his father.

Don smiled, "Thank you for helping. It means a lot to me." He rubbed his hand through the boy's hair who smiled back.

Another man walked up, he was a doctor for sure, "Eppes?"

Don nodded, "Yes?" The other men and boys were quiet, listening.

"You're brother is stable now. We can call another hospital and they can send a helicopter to pick him up and take him to the place of you're choosing."

Don nodded. "Good." He made the preparations for the movement of his brother.

His brother was going to be safe. His brother was going to live. His brother was stronger than he thought.

* * *

(1) That is from the song "High Life" by the Counting Crows. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: Oh. Tonights episode is a repeat, but I had missed it the first time.  
**

* * *

Charlie felt groggy. Something wasn't right. He was warm - not cold. He felt safe - no reason to be afraid. This wasn't right. He opened his eyes suddenly, hearing a beeping noise speed up. What was going on? Where was he? Where was Tirry? This wasn't right. It wasn't!

Don jumped up when he heard his brother's heart monitor speed up. He looked at Charlie who was somehow sitting up. Don rushed to his side, "Buddy?"

Charlie looked around, he heard Don's voice. He looked. Oh, God. Not more hallucinations. He tried to back up, but the bed he was in stopped him. A bed? What the hell?

"Charlie." He heard Don's voice, "Buddy, calm down. You're having a panic attack. Just breath. Come one buddy. Breath with me. In. Out. In. Out ..."

Charlie tried, but it wasn't working. He couldn't control his body. Why? What had happened? Something wasn't right!

He felt a hand push him down, so that he was laying on the bed. "No. No. No." Charlie pleaded to anyone, everyone, no one.

"Shh. Buddy. Calm down." Don stroked Charlie's hair, getting him to calm down. "You shouldn't even be up yet. You need to rest."

"I c-can't rest." Charlie told the voice. "I can't rest because I'm nothing. I am nobody, treat me as a solar myth, or an echo, or an irrational quantity, or ignore me altogether." (1)

"Charlie ..." Don said, worried. "Buddy ..." He looked down at his brother, afraid. "Stop that talk right now."

Charlie looked up, his eyes finally focusing, "Donnie." He frowned, "Have you come to tell me again? Then you leave. Then Tirry comes and something bad happens. Something bad happens all the time. I can't control it. It's like chaos theory. Why? Donnie. Make it stop. I know you hate me. You say so all the time - just like everyone. But, please. Make it stop." Charlie pleaded.

Don stared down at his brother, "Buddy, I don't hate you-"

"Yes you do. Everyone does." Charlie nodded, pausing, "Except Megan. I don't know why Megan won't accept that I'm worthless."

Don put a hand on Charlie's shoulder, "You are not worthless."

Charlie had flinched at the touch. It was real. Donnie was real. "You mean it?"

Don nodded, glad that Charlie was acting normal for the moment. "Of course, Buddy." He looked into his brother's eyes, "Are you feeling any pain?"

Charlie thought about it. He was so used to pain now. What did it feel like to not be in pain? "I-I don't know. I think I feel pain. But I don't know."

Don sighed, "Alright. I can tell the nurse to up your morphine if you want."

Charlie blinked, "Then I won't feel pain?"

Don shook his head, "Nope. No pain."

He blinked again. Thinking it through. The pain hurt. That was very true, but the pain also kept him grounded. He swallowed. "I-I don't know."

Don nodded, understanding some. "Alright, buddy."

Charlie jumped some when the door opened.

Alan saw his son was awake and he couldn't stop his smile, "Charlie!"

"D-Dad?" Charlie asked, slightly frightened. He turned to Don, putting a hand on Don's arm - to make sure that he was real, "Dad's here right? I'm not hallucinating him, am I?"

"Course I'm real." Alan said, walking up to his sons.

Charlie blinked up at his father, "I'm sorry dad, but I can't count on your word. Because I've been lied to by them."

Don patted Charlie on the arm, "Dad's real."

Charlie looked up at Alan, "Dad?"

Alan smiled and put a hand on the top of Charlie's head, "I'm here. You're safe now." He paused, "You should get some sleep. If the nurses or Dr. Flint finds out that you're awake they will probably make you sleep some more."

"Dr. Flint?" Charlie asked, "I have the same doctor as last time?"

"We thought it would be good if you did, son."

Charlie swallowed, "Yes. It would be."

Dr. Mina Flint walked into the room then, "And it would also be good if you sleep. I shall up your morphine."

Charlie had no complaints when the doctor put a syringe in one of the IV's. He could start to feel the effects right away. He smiled at Don and Alan. "Th' pain all gone! It's like 'm superman!"

Don chuckled to himself, knowing that it was only the morphine that was causing his brother to be so happy.

"I'm gonna take a nap-nap 'bout now." Charlie nodded, informing his family. "Ya bof can take nappies toooo. If ya wants." Charlie's eyes where at half-mast, he nodded sleepily. "S'eeps good n' all."

"Alright, buddy." Don told his drugged up brother, "You just get some sleep."

Charlie nodded, his eyes closed. "Don't care if ya'all 'ate me. 'Coz I 'ove ya'all."

Don and Alan watched Charlie sleep for a few moments before Alan spoke up, "He thinks we all hate him?"

Don nodded, "Yeah. But it seems as if he has hallucinated us telling him that we hate him." He paused, "Except Megan. He said that Megan never said that she hated him. I wonder why." Don ran his hand through his hair, "What did Tirry do to him?"

Dr. Harry Roland walked in, "That's the question isn't it." He sat down as Dr. Mina Flint walked out, "I'm glad that you all found Charlie."

Alan nodded, "It's wonderful that he's been found alive."

"As soon as he's well enough too, we've got to get him back on his medications." Harry turned to Don, "I heard you saying that he hallucinated."

Don nodded. "That is what seemed to happen. I don't know the full extent of what all happened though."

Dr. Roland nodded, "Yes. I understand. I will be clearing my calendar to work with Charlie and get him better again." He stood up to leave.

"Thank you, doctor." Alan said, "My son means so much, it means a lot that you would do so much for him."

Roland smiled, "It's not a problem, Alan." With that the doctor left.

* * *

Charlie woke up about 12 hours later. Frantic. "Megan!" He said, sitting up suddenly.

Alan put a hand on Charlie, "Son, it's alright. Calm down."

Charlie blinked, remembering it all. "Megan. I need to see her."

"Why?"

"Sh-she doesn't hate me. I need her." Charlie insisted, "I need to see her!"

"Shh. Charlie." Alan soothed.

"No! No! No!" Charlie protested.

Don stared at his brother. "Buddy. I'll go and get Megan right now if you promise to calm down for dad and me."

Charlie thought about this. Don would get Megan. Then she'd be there. He'd feel safe with her in the room. "Al-Alright." Charlie nodded, "I-I'll calm down, Donnie. Just get Megan."

Don knew that Charlie was calming down, the heart monitor was slowing down to a more normal pace. What really scared Don was how Charlie was talking. His tone of voice. It was as if he was a frightened five year old again. Don got up, going to call Megan at the pay phones.

"Reeves."

"Megan." Don said, "Can you uh. Can you come to the hospital?"

"Of course Don." Megan said, her tone a bit confused, "You need my help with something?"

Don sighed, "Yeah. I need with Charlie."

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Just. Get here ASAP."

"Will do Don. I'm on my way." She went to hang up the phone when she heard Don's voice again.

"Just you, alright? Don't bring Colby and David. I don't know if he'd be able to handle that." He hung up the phone, not waiting for a reply.

He walked back to Charlie's room, confused at his brother's behavior. Of course Charlie is bipolar and he had been through one hell of a week. Don couldn't imagine how he would have handled it if he had been though what all Charlie had been. He sighed as he walked into the room. "Megan is on her way, Buddy."

Charlie nodded, his eyes wide, frightened. "Alright. Good. That's good. Real Good." He looked at Don, "She's not lying right? She is coming? Right now?"

"As we speak, Buddy." Don said, sitting down next to his brother. "You wanna get some more sleep?"

"No. Then Megan would come and she'd end up hating me too. Because I made her come, then when she came I wasn't here. I would be sleeping. She'd get mad at the trouble I put her though and then she'd hate me as well. I don't want her to hate me too."

"Charlie, buddy. We don't hate you." Don said, trying to make eye contact with his brother.

Charlie shook his head, his hands covering his ears, "Yes you do! Don't lie to me Donnie! Not now! You can lie to me when I say you can!"

"Son, it's not a lie. We don't hate you." Alan said, worried that his son would do something drastic, like trying to take his own life, again.

"Really?" Charlie's eyes wide in question.

"Really." Don paused, "Are you in pain? Because we can get something for that."

Charlie thought, "No. Not in pain at all. I don't think."  
Don sighed, "You know you went through a surgery, right?"

Charlie's glazed eyes nodded, "I figured as much. I'm covered with bandages and stitches and a few casts. Doesn't surprise me that I went through a surgery or two." he blinked at the door, seeing something, or maybe seeing nothing. God only knew what was going on in Charlie's head.

The door opened when Charlie stared at it, Megan walked in cautiously. "Charlie?"

"Megan." He replied. Charlie felt so relieved that she was there. She always believed in him.

"Don said you wanted to talk to me."

Charlie nodded. He looked from Alan to Don, and back again. "Uh. Can you both. Uh ..."

Don raised his eyebrows, in surprise, "Leave you in here with Megan?" He looked at his father who nodded. "Alright, Buddy."

Charlie watched as his family left. "Thanks." He told them as Megan sat down next to him.

"Just you and me in the room now, Charlie. You want to talk? Why do do you want to talk to me?"

"D-Do you not want to talk to me?" Charlie asked, "Have you started hating me now, too?"

Megan's eyes shown with sadness, "No, Charlie. I don't hate you."

He smiled. "Good. I don't want you to hate me."

"Charlie, no one hates you." Megan said, worried for her friend.

Charlie knew the truth. Or, he thought he did. He wasn't so sure anymore. He wasn't sure about what happened, what was real, what was hallucination. "Please don't lie for them."

* * *

(1) -Sir James Augustus Henry Murray 


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: ****Gah. Sorry if this chapter seems sort. But it just seemed like a good place to end the chapter.

* * *

**

"Charlie. I'm not lying." Megan said stern-like. "None of us hates you."

Charlie swallowed, "But they've all told me. Over and Over and Over." His eyes showed fear and confusion, "I see them. They wouldn't let me out. They hate me!" With his uncasted hand, he started tapping his temple. "I saw them! With the numbers!" His tapping became more severe. "It wouldn't stop. None of it!" The tapping suddenly became hitting. "Make it stop! Stop! Stop!"

Megan quickly grabbed his hand, pulling it away from his temple and holding onto it. He squirmed from the touch. "Charlie. It's over. You're safe. I'm here, it's going to be alright."

"Megan." Charlie said, sounding detatched, "You never said you hated me." He swallowed, "And that means a lot."

Megan sighed. Charlie was being stubborn again. He wouldn't realize that he wasn't hated. She could not even imagine the feelings that he was going through - thinking that everyone but one person hated him. "Charlie. No one hates you." How could she get him to believe it.

Charlie nodded, "Everyone. Even my mom."

Megan raised an eyebrow, "You're mom?"

Charlie nodded. "Sh-She came an-and told me that she didn't want me to die, because then she'd have to spend eterinity with me. A-And A-Amita said that I ruined her life-fe."

Megan leaned toward her friend, "Charlie," She began, "You hallucinated everyone. You're mom can't go and see you. And Amita is in Harvard. You understand, Chalrie? No one hates you. You imagined everyone telling you those things."

Charlie's face scunched up, thinking about it. It was more logical, what Megan was saying. Heck, he knew that they were hallucinations. But once you see someone who you care about state that they hate your guts - it's just not a picture that can easily be put aside. He sighed. He didn't know anymore. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "I-I don't know. I don't know what real anymore, Megan."

Megan sighed, "I have an idea on a way that you can sort out the truth from the fake."

Charlie looked at her.

"We could see if Dr. Roland would hipnotise you. That might help you." Megan patted Charlie's hand, which she was still holding onto, "Think about it, alright? You shouldn't answer a yes or a no to that idea for awhile, Charlie. Think about it. Take your time, thinking about it." She stood up, ready to leave.

"Megan!" Charlie's voice sounded small. "Please. Please don't go." He held onto her hand.

Megan sat down again, "Alright, Charlie." She said slowly. "I won't leave. As long as you tell me why you don't want me to go."

Charlie drew an intake of breath, listening to the heart monitor, "I-I'm not for sure, myself. It could be because you had always believed in me - and unlike all the others, I've never heard you saying that you hated me-"

"Those were hallutionations." She told him.

He nodded, "Even if they were, I still remember it."

Megan felt her stomach drop. Yes, of course. He would still remember it. That would be awful, having to remember that in your time of need - everyone said that they hated you.

"And probably ..." Charlie started to finish what he was saying, "because you were the first real person who came to save me. I feel safer with you in the room." His eyes teared up, "And I feel like I've betrayed Don, by not feeling as safe with him as I do with you."

"Charlie. You are not betraying Don by feeling that way. You can't help your feelings."

Charlie chucked a bit, which turned into a slight fit of coughing. "Yeah. Exspecially my feelings."

Megan smiled sadly. Yes, his feelings. They would be very random, that was for sure. She wondered if Charlie had ever tried to put math to his bipolarism, to try and know when his mood swings would occur. He had said many times that nothing was random or by chance. She looked at her friend who was lost in a thought. "Charlie?" His eyes suddenly shot to her, "What are you thinking about?"

"57.641592653589."

Megan raised an eyebrow, "57.641...? What is that?"

Charlie's eyes were empty, "It's the total of what happened."

"...What happened?"

Suddenly his eyes were full with emotions, all kinds of them at once, "What happened to me."

Megan swallowed, "Charlie. You need to get some sleep, alright?"

He nodded, "I guess." He closed his eyes, "You won't leave, Will you?"

"No. I won't." Megan answered, knowing that she couldn't keep that promise. She patted his arm gently. "Get some rest." She waited until she knew he was asleep, then she went out into the hallway. Leaving Charlie alone.

She was almost mauled by Don and Alan.

Megan held up a commanding hand, telling them to stop asking her all the questions. She sighed, "Charlie is going through a rough time right now. And he is really confused. I've got to talk to Dr. Roland about him quickly."

"Why did he want to see you?" Alan asked, "Why didn't he want his family in the room? The people who love him?"

"Because he still thinks that you all hate him. I think I've got him to believe that no one hates him, but, like I said, he's really confused." She paused, "I need to do some things at the office, but if I'm not here when Charlie wakes up ..." She sighed.

"So, you got him to sleep?" Don asked.

Megan nodded wearily. "I'm sorry if I'm not here when he wakes up."

"Why?" Alan asked, eyebrows scruntched together in confusion.

"He." She ran her hand through her hair, "He feels safer around me than anyone else and I kinda made a promise to him that I'd be there when he woke."

Don felt like someone just punched his stomach. His brother felt safer around Megan than he did around Don. This wasn't right. Don hadn't done anything wrong. Except not be the person who first found Charlie. And he had let Charlie be taken away, right under his nose. Don sighed. "It's alright. I'll just have to explain it too him if he wakes up and you aren't there." He paused as a thought struck him. He grinned, "Or we could deal with it a different way."

Megan raised her eyebrows, "And what is that?"

Don shrugged, "While he's asleep, fill him up with happy pills. Then when he wakes up he won't care if you're there are not."

Megan scoffed, "You'd do that to him?"

Don shrugged, "Why not? He's in a lot of pain right now, he just can't tell the difference. He's emotionally unstable, so at least then he'd be stable."

Alan nodded, thinking about Don's idea. "No. We will not do that."

Don sighed. "I know. It was just a thought."

Megan nodded, "And I'll leave you both to your thoughts. I've got to go and see Dr. Roland and then go to the office."

Don and Alan watched her go in silence.

"Sure you don't want to see about those "happy pills"?" Don asked, slight smile on his face.

Alan shot Don a glare, "Would you stop joking about that."

Don sighed, "Sorry. It's just. Rough, you know?"

Alan nodded, standing up, "Yeah. I know." He stretched for a moment. "I'm going to go and take a short walk."

Don nodded, "Alright. You do that. I'm probably just going to go and sit with Charlie."

"Okay. I shouldn't be gone long." With that, Alan started walking down the hallway.

Don took a deep intake of breath as he got up, and let it out as he opened the door to his brother's hospital room.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: -dances- New Chapter.  
Review please and thank you.

* * *

**

Don walked in and saw his brother fidgeting in his sleep. Charlie's brow was furrowed in fear. He moved slightly, twitching once in a while. His face had gone paler than it had been before and Don didn't know that was physically possible. Charlie's hair was matted to his head with sweat as his head turned from side to side.

Don took a step back when he heard a word come from Charlie's lips, "Mom."

_"Mom. No ..." Charlie said fearfully as his mother appeared from the darkness._

_"Charlie, honey. I'm so sorry." She walked towards him._

_"No. No. No." He backed away from her, into more darkness. _

_"Charlie." Margaret said forcefully, causing Charlie to stop. She walked up to him and looked at him with sad eyes. "Oh. Charlie."_

_He heard the pity in her voice. It was not something he liked to hear from anyone, especially his mother. He raised his hands up to his ears. Charlie didn't want to hear what she had to say, "No. No. No."_

Don watched as Charlie's free hand went up to his ear, covering it up. Don walked slowly up to his brother, he needed to calm him down. So, Don started to run his finger's through his brother's hair, calming him down.

_Charlie felt someone relaxing him, he looked up and saw that his mom was running her finger's through his hair. He brought his hands down._

Don had to take a slight step back, so that when Charlie's hand returned to his side, he didn't get hit by it.

_"Mom?"_

_Margaret smiled at her son, "Charlie. You need to forget what all those people told you when you were in dark."_

_Charlie knew what people and what darkness she was talking about. She was talking about his hallucinations in the basement. "I-It was so real."_

_Margaret nodded, hugging him, "I know, baby. But it wasn't real."_

_"Is this real?" He asked into her shoulder._

_She pulled him back and brushed some of his hair out of his face, "Oh, Charlie. You know that answer." Charlie was quiet, so she spoke up again, "You know that I love you. And your dad and brother do too. No matter what you thought they told you. They love you."_

_Charlie nodded as tears threatened to spill. "I-I know."_

_"You do?" She pulled him back, but kept her hands on his shoulders. "Do you believe it?"_

_He smiled slightly. "I-I don't know."_

_She grinned at him, "You'll know soon enough. Trust me." She sighed, "I've got to be going."_

_"What?" He looked up at her, fear in his eyes again, "No. I don't want you to go."_

_"I know, baby. I know. But I have to. It will be alright."_

_"You promise?"_

_"I promise." She let go of him and smiled, "I'm so proud of you, Charlie."_

_"I love you, mom."_

_"I love you too, sweetie." She bent in and kissed him on the forehead, "Now, I need you to promise me something." Charlie looked up her, expectantly, "Promise me that when you wake up, don't start to panic."_

_"Why would I-?"_

_"Promise me."_

_"I promise."_

Don jumped back when his brother's eyes shot open. Don put his hand over his heart, "Jeez, Buddy! You scared the shit out of me!" He got his breathing under control.

Charlie looked around the room and saw Don. Only Don. Not Megan. How could she break the promise? He could feel himself have trouble breathing. She broke her promise. Her promise. Promise. He made a promise to Margaret. He had to keep that promise, even if Megan broke hers.

Don was trying to calm Charlie down, but was having trouble doing so. Until he heard Charlie whisper something.

"I made a promise."

And then Charlie started to breath normally, his eyes started to focus on Don's face.

"Charlie? Buddy?"

Charlie looked around the room and saw Don. Only Don. Not Megan. He nodded to his brother. "Don." His voice was rough. "Hi."

"Hi." Don smiled at his brother, "You alright?"

Charlie blinked. Was he alright? No, far from it. But he was better. "I guess."

Don sat down on the bed next to Charlie. "You guess?" Charlie nodded. "Hm. Okay then. You going to stay alright?"

Good question. Was he? "I might."

"Going to try?"

"Yeah."

"Good." Don ruffled Charlie's hair, "You know, I'm really glad to have you back."

"Good to be back, Donnie."

* * *

Dr. Harry Roland looked down at his patient lying in a hospital bed. Roland was glad at the progress Charlie was doing physically. He was probably going to be released in the next 24 hours. "Are you sure?"

Charlie sighed, thinking about it again. "Yes. I think so."

Roland nodded, "Alright. But we'll do that later. Maybe next week?"

"Alright. Sounds good, Doctor." Charlie agreed.

"And how has your medication I gave you been working?"

He swallowed, thinking again. "Pretty good, I guess."

Roland made a note on his clip board, "You guess?"

"Yeah." Charlie leaned back in his bed, closing his eyes.

Roland chuckled, "I bet some of the side-effects are showing up." Charlie nodded slowly, "It only makes sense. You had been off them for a while, and then you are also taking some medications for your wounds." He paused, "Are you drowsy?" A slow shake of the head, "No? Then why are your eyes closed, Charlie?"

"Nausea."

"Oh. Right." Roland paused, "So, I'm guessing you don't want to talk about what all happened?"

"Not really. For different reasons." Roland raised an eyebrow, which Charlie of course could not see, "I don't think I'm ready to talk, and I'm also not sure what really happened."

Roland nodded, "And that is why you want to be hypnotized? So that you know the truth from all the lies?"

"Exactly."

Roland looked at his watch, "Well, Charlie. I have to go." He paused, "And you know that there is a trash can beside you're bed, right?"

"Yep."

"Alright then. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Charlie heard footsteps and the door closing.

He really did want to find out the truth from all the lies. He could guess as to what really happened, but he didn't want to guess anymore. He wanted facts.

Charlie opened his eyes when he heard the door come open. "Larry!"

"Charles." Larry said, closing the door behind him, "I hear you're going home?"

"That's right."

"I'm very glad to hear it."

"Larry? What's that?" Charlie asked, glancing at the large bag he was carrying.

"This? Oh, yes. Well, all of your students, most of the staff, custodians, and a few other people such as FBI Agents have made you a lot of "Get Well"-type cards for you're enjoyment. We have collected them all and I volunteered to take them to you." Larry smiled at his friend.

"Well, Larry? Don't you think it might have been a little better if you had given them to me at home? As I'm going to be there soon."

Larry's smile fell, "You make a good point."

Charlie laughed and shook his head. He groaned and leaned back again.

"Charles?"

"It's nothing, Larry. I shouldn't have shaken my head."

"Why? Should I call a doctor? Or a nurse?" Larry was moving closer to Charlie.

"It's nothing. Really, Larry. Nausea is a side-effect of all the many medications I'm on." His voice nonchalant.

"Oh. Yes. Of course." Larry paused, "You know, Charles, you are taking what happened to you much better than I would have thought."

Charlie raised an eyebrow, "I'm on medications for a reason, Larry."

"Yes, I know that. But, I know that If I had been what you have been ... I'm sure that I would be in more of a mess than you are currently in."

Charlie grinned sadly, "Well, right now, my head is a scary place to be in."

Larry's eyebrows went up, "So, you're putting on a brave face for us? Charles, that is not a good thing to do. Especially for someone like you."

Charlie sighed, "I don't know. I don't know if it's a brave face for you all, or if I really am coping that well." He paused, "And if it is that latter, I'm sure that once I know for sure as to what truly happened that I don't even be able to do the former."

"You still don't know what happened?"

"No." Charlie paused, "Don't get me wrong. I understand what happened, I just don't know the full extent. My mind was playing trick on me down there, Larry. I can't tell the real from the make-believe."

"Well, with work I'm sure that you will know."

Charlie nodded, causing his face to get a green tint to it. "Oh, God." he said, turning to the side of the bed. By the time Charlie was done retching, Larry was gone.

* * *

Don was carrying Charlie's bags as Alan was hovering over Charlie as he, himself, crutched to the SUV.

"Dad. I'm fine."

"I know." Alan sighed, still hovering, "But you've never been the greatest at crutches..."

"I was eight. And they were too tall for me." Charlie protested, getting in the SUV.

Don shook his head happily as he got behind the wheel. He started the vehicle as Alan got in the front seat, turning around and making sure that Charlie in back was comfortable.

"Sorry, guys." Don said, "We've got to make a stop at the gas station before we go home."

"That's fine, Donnie." Alan said, "We need some milk. So we can pick up two gallons while we're there."

"Alright. We can do that." Don agreed, getting onto the road, "But you know, I hate getting gas now days."

"Why?" Charlie asked.

Don sighed, "Because. The gas prices are so high, and you know that the SUV is a gas hog."

"Yeah, but how much money can it take to fill this up?"

Don snorted, "Lately it's been around $60."

"Shit, Don." Charlie said, shocked.

Alan turned back, "Son. Language."

"Sorry, dad."

Don laughed, at the two of them as he pulled into a gas station. He got up and started the fill up the vehicle.

"You going to be alright in here, Charlie?" Alan asked.

"Yeah. Don's just outside, and I am a grown man, Dad."

"I know. I just wanted to check." Alan sighed, "I'll go and get us some milk." He got out and made his way inside.

Charlie was glad that he was going home. He always hated hospitals. He missed his bed. Charlie yawned, thinking that the first thing he'd do was go and sleep in his bed. The dirt floor in the basement and the hospital bed was nothing like his bed. His bed was special to him. That was one of the reasons why he hated staying at the hospital - their beds. Other beds were never comfortable.

Charlie watched Don grab his wallet and head into the gas station to pay.

Charlie was curious as to how much gas was costing his brother. He looked out the window to see for himself.

"Oh. God." He whispered, everything falling away. "$57.64"

_57.641592653589..._


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: Idea for this came from SyberiaWinx. So, if you don't like it ... go and yell at her. XD Joking. Yell at me too. She's not the only one to blame because I liked the idea and I wrote it. So there.**

* * *

Alan was about to leave with his milk when Don walked in, complaining under his breath. "Donnie?"

Don looked up, "Gas prices are too high!" He growled, as he laid three twenty dollar bills down for the cashier, "I may have to ask for a raise or get rid of the SUV." He collected his change.

Alan shook his head happily. "Come on, Don. Let's get Charlie home."

They walked out to the SUV together and Alan right away, looked back at Charlie.

Who appeared to be sleeping.

And he did not look comfortable.

Don looked back at Charlie when he got in, "Aw. Look'it sleeping beauty."

Alan glanced at his eldest, "Well, he does need his sleep."

Don started his vehicle. "I just hope he wakes up when we get home. I don't really feel like dragging him inside the house."

Alas, and to Don's vain, that's what they had to do. Charlie was out cold. So, when they brought him inside and put him on the couch, they both stared down at him, worried.

Don checked for a pulse and found a regular one.

Alan checked for any new injuries and found none.

They both stood back and watched him sleep.

"I can't believe he's still sleeping."

"Me neither." Alan replied with a sigh. He looked at his watch, "Well. It's 9 pm. I'm probably going to go to bed."

Don nodded, "Alright. I'll watch some TV then go to my old room."

"I'm glad that you're staying the night." Alan told his son.

"Well, I figured as it's Charlie's first night back and all ..." Don said nonchalantly.

Alan nodded as he went up the stairs, to his room.

Don looked at his sleeping brother on the couch. Maybe they should move him to his bed? No, tha'd to too hard. It was hard enough just getting the guy inside the house. Don grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat down, turning on the TV and turning the volume on low - he didn't want to wake Charlie.

After a few hours of TV watching, Don yawned and headed up to his room.

* * *

Don woke up to someone shaking him. He blinked and watched as his dad came into focus. "Dad?"

"Don! Don! Charlie's missing!"

Don shot up, "What? I left him on the couch last night!"

Alan paced Don's room. "I've check his room, the solarium, the garage, the back yard. Don. I'm afraid of what has happened to him."

Don got up, "I'll have a look around myself." He headed downstairs, in FBI-mode, afraid of what he was going to find.

But after he looked around the whole property, he found that Charlie had disappeared. And no clues were there at all.

Don picked up his cell phone and dialed Megan.

"Reeves."

"Megan. I need you're help again." Don told her, hurriedly.

"Charlie?"

"Yeah. We can't find him. We've looked over the whole area. I can't find any clues."

"Should I bring a team?" Megan asked, worried.

"Not right now. Just, get here as soon as you can."

"Alright. Be there in a few." She hung up her phone and made her way to Charlie's house. Hoping that he was alright. Wherever he was.

When she got there, she rushed in and had a look around herself. And she too, found no clues.

Don pounded the table, "God! Charlie was taken right under my nose! Again!"

"Don." Megan said, "We are not for sure that he was taken." She smiled, her eyes moving toward the ceiling of the hallway, "In fact. I heard a noise. I think I know where he might be."

Don stared at her, "What are you talking about?" He blinked at her and followed her gaze. He listened and smiled. "Megan. You're a genius."

"Like Charlie is? Or like a person who just found the genius?"

"Both." Don answered, smiling.

Alan looked from one Agent to the other, "I'm sorry. I don't-"

Don moved to the string that hung from the ceiling and pulled it down. A step ladder appeared where the string had been moments before.

"The attic? You think Charlie's in the attic?" Alan asked, confused.

Don nodded. "Yeah. I remember he used to go up there sometimes when we were younger. That was when you," He said, talking to his dad, "Had all your city planning stuff in the solarium and the garage was still a garage, with cars inside of it."

Alan nodded, "Yeah. I remember that."  
And so, the three of them headed up into the attic.

Yep, Charlie was there, sitting on the floor, with his back to them.

Don sighed, relieved that his brother was safe. "Hey, Buddy." He said, starting to walk forward.

Charlie turned and smiled at Don, "Donnie!" Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned back around, humming a tune from a song that Don and Charlie learned when they were kids. Charlie sang out the last verse nice and clear, "Put it in the oven for Donnie and Me!"

Don wondered why Charlie was singing _Patty Cake_. He slowly walked forward, afraid of what he'd find, "Buddy?"

Charlie turned around again, smiling and carefully moving some of his curls out of his face. "Donnie?" He blinked up at his older brother who kept walking forward, slowly.

Don was finally able to see what Charlie had been working on, and he turned to Alan when he saw it, "Dad?" He took a breath, "Why do we have an Easy Bake Oven?"

Alan looked at his son, baffled. He walked up to see what Don was talking about. And there was Charlie, making some things with an Easy Bake Oven. He swallowed, "I-It was your mothers." He looked down at Charlie how was happily playing with some matchbox cars while his oven was cooking a cake of some sort.

Alan bent down to his son, "Charlie?"

"Daddy?" Charlie asked, looking up at his dad. Eyes big and trusting. Innocent.

Damn. What had happened to Charlie?

"Charlie?" Alan asked, trying to keep his voice calm, "What are you doing?"

"Making us all a cake. And playing with the cars." He shot a glance at Don, then back at Alan, "Don't tell Donnie that I accidentally broke his favorite car." His voice sounded like a childs.

Alan blinked at Charlie, tears threatening to spill.

Megan walked up to see what was going on.

Charlie heard the footsteps behind him and he turned and stared at her. "Megan!" He smiled. "Hiya!" He waved at her, before turning back to his cars, forgetting about the three of them. "Vroom. Vrooom. Vroooom."

The three of them moved away from Charlie, about three feet away. Don's throat was dry. "That's not Charlie..."

"Something must have set this off." Megan said, "Tell me what had happened since you left the hospital."

Don took a breath, "We were going home and I had to stop and get gas. Dad went in and got some milk. We left him alone for about a minute or two, when we came back ... he was asleep. And when we got home, he was still asleep. We drug him inside and put him on the couch. When I went to bed, he still hadn't woken up."

"But this morning he was gone and I couldn't find him." Alan said, monotone, in a sort of shock, "And then Don looked. Then Don called you."

Megan nodded, "Alright. Well, My guess is whatever set Charlie off happened at the gas station." Megan sighed, running her hand through her hair, "Let's find out what it is." She walked over to Charlie and bent down to him. "Charlie?"

He looked up, eyes wide with trust. "Megan?"

"What happened at the gas station? Can you tell me?"

Charlie's face scrunched up, thinking. His tongue stuck out, thinking. "Donnie and Daddy left after Donnie was complaining about the price of gas. So I looked and I saw the price."

"And how much was the gas, Charlie? Can you tell me?"

Charlie looked down at his hand, "I don't wanna. It's scary." His voice was small, frightened.

Megan sighed, "Can you tell me? Please, Charlie? For me, Donnie, and Daddy?"

Charlie moved slowly to another area of the attic and grabbed a long forgotten stuffed bear, Archimedes. Named after the guy worked with Pi. "Archie knows." He said, hugging the bear his chest. "Archie and I share a secret."

"What is that secret, Charlie?"

"Pi."

"Pi?"

Charlie nodded, frightened, "Pi a-and 57.641592653589."

57.641592653589? That sounded familiar. "Megan." Don said, knowing what had happened, "That's the number that Charlie kept telling me when we first found him."

Megan nodded. "He brought it up when he spoke to me in private not that long ago."

Don nodded, "And the gas price. Guess what it was ..."

"I'm guessing $57.64."

Don nodded. "Something like that."

Megan sighed, "Charlie," Her whole attention back on him again, "After you looked at the price, what happened?"

Charlie looked down at the Easy Bake Oven.

"Buddy?" Don said, "Answer Megan."

Charlie took a deep breath, "Everything fell away n' I couldn't breath."

Don groaned, so ... Charlie didn't fall asleep, he passed out. "Oh, Charlie." His voice broke. His brother was having a lot of trouble with coping.

"Can Archie and I go back to playing?" Charlie asked.

Don nodded, biting his lip. "Yeah, Buddy."

Charlie smiled and went back to his playing with toys.

Don rubbed his forehead.

"You need to call Dr. Roland." Megan advised. "This is serious."

"Yeah. Like I didn't know that already when I found my baby brother playing with an oven, cars, and his toy bear!"

"Calm down, Don." Alan scolded, "What do you think would happen if he hears you yelling?"

Don sighed, he didn't know what would happen. Would Charlie get worse?

"He has seemed to revert back to being a child of some sort." Megan said, "He still remembers what happens and who everyone is, or so it seems." She looked at her watch, "I'm sorry. But I do have to go. And I don't know what I can do to help Charlie right now. Like I said, you need to call Dr. Roland."

Alan nodded, "Thank you, Megan."

"It's no problem. I'll check back later tonight and see how everything is going."

"We appreciate it." Alan said, turning to Don, "Stay with him. I'm going to call Dr. Roland."

Don sighed as he watched the two leave the attic. He walked over to Charlie. "Hey, Buddy?" His voice almost gave out.

Charlie looked up, "Do you wanna play with me, Donnie?"

Don could feel his heart break, "Y-Yeah, Buddy. I'd love to." He paused, "But let's not play up here, alright? We can take some toys with us downstairs."

Charlie thought about this, his lips pursing, "Alright. Donnie. If you say so." He got up and grabbed a few of his cars as he clutched Archie. "I love you, Donnie!" he grinned.

Don forced a smile, "I love you too, Buddy."


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: -blinks- Poor Charlie.  
Review people. Key thing to do.**

* * *

Don watched Charlie play on the living room floor happily. What the hell did Tirry do to Charlie to make him act like this? Don hated seeing Charlie act like a child. It wasn't right. He sighed and stood up. 

Charlie stopped playing and stared up at Don with huge eyes full of fear, "Donnie?"

"Don't worry, Buddy. I'm just going to check on something. Then I'll be right back."

"Promise?"

"I promise." Don forced a smile as he went into the kitchen to check in on their dad.

Alan was sitting at the table, staring off into space.

"Hey, Dad?"

Alan looked up, "Oh, Donnie." he smiled, "How is Charlie doing?"

Don shrugged, "Same as before. When is Dr. Roland getting here? What did he say over the phone?"

"He'll be here shortly. He didn't really say anything other than that he'd be here soon." Alan sighed, and rubbed his face with his hand, "You'd better go back and stay with Charlie. Who knows what will happen next."

Don nodded, understanding. He left his dad in the kitchen and made his way back to his brother.

Don stopped in his tracks when he saw Charlie. He had his shirt off, and he had taken some of his bandages off of himself, showing his chest. Charlie had a tight hold onto Archie who he was taking a sharpie to.

"3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375 is Pi." Charlie told his bear as he drew on Archie. "You're just like me now." He said, when he was finished drawing a Pi symbol on the bear's chest. "Now you understand, Archie. You always understood."

Don didn't know whether to cry or yell.

He stared at Charlie for a moment before he decided on the latter. He rushed up and grabbed the sharpie from his brother's hands. "Charlie." He scolded his brother, "You shouldn't have taken your bandages off! You should never take them off! Do you know how much harm you could have caused yourself?!" Don glared at his brother, panting from the yelling.

Charlie on the other hand did not like the yelling at all. He was just showing Archie what had happened? Why did Don have to start yelling at him? It wasn't his fault. Right? He could feel the tears flow easily from his eyes, he could feel himself shutter when Don was yelling. He looked up at Don's face, afraid of what he'd find.

Don's face softened and he grabbed Charlie gently, not wanting to hurt him. He hugged his brother and started rocking him. "Oh, God. Charlie, Buddy ... I'm so sorry. Forgive me, please. I didn't mean to yell at you. Remember how I seem to have anger problems? That's why they sent me to a program? Remember?"

Charlie nodded into Don's shoulder. He remembered. But Don scared him. Why did he scare him. "Mad?"

"No. Buddy, I'm not mad. I was for a moment, but I'm not mad anymore."

Charlie swallowed, "Hate?"

"No. No. No. I don't hate you. I love you. Got that? I'm sorry that I yelled at you. Do you forgive me?"

Charlie nodded again.

"Alright." Don stopped hugging his brother, "Let's get you bandaged again." He smiled at Charlie and Charlie's face lit up.

Soon Charlie had his bandage across his chest again, his shirt on, Archie in the fold of his elbow, and he was leaning on Don.

"Buddy?"

"Donnie?"

"Earlier when you were talking to Archie, you said that he always understood. What does that mean?"

"Archie is special. Like me. Mommy said I was special." He sniffed once, "Donnie, I miss Mommy."

"I miss her too, Buddy." Don answered, running his hands through Charlie's curls.

The doorbell rang and Charlie sat up as quickly as his injuries let him. "I wanna get th' door!" He smiled as he got up. He slowly opened it, "Hallo!" He waved.

Dr. Harry Roland stared at his patient. Then he looked at the stuffed toy bear in his arms. "Hello, Charlie. May I come in?"

"Yes." Charlie said, going back to the couch where Don sat.

Roland looked around the room as Alan walked into the living room. He was surprised at all the toys that were laying on the floor. He had heard some of what had happened over the phone, but he hadn't known the full extent of it, until now.

"Dr. Roland." Alan said, clearing off a chair, "Come, sit."

Roland did as Alan asked and he watched Charlie whisper something to Don.

Don smiled sadly and tickled Charlie who giggled in return.

"Charlie?" Roland asked.

Charlie's head shot to his doctor. His eyes wide in fear, "Am I in trouble for makin' th' mess? 'Coz I'll clean it up."

Roland shook his head, "No. You're not in trouble."

Charlie smiled, hugging onto the bear, "Good."

"Want to tell me about the bear?" Roland asked.

Charlie looked down, "This is Archimedes. Better known as Archie." He held up the bear triumphantly, "He saved me once." His tone somber, but yet child-like. He suddenly hugged the bear, "'N Archie will save me again." He pointed to the chest of the bear, "See? He's helping."

Roland looked at the pi symbol drawn on the chest. "I see." He paused, "What do you mean by "He saved me once"? What happened?"

Don was wondering the same thing. He didn't know what had happened. He remembered when Charlie had suddenly started obsessing over the toy bear. Charlie was around 5 years old. And out of nowhere he just suddenly always had that bear with him.

Charlie backed into the couch as far as he could, "I-I d-don't wanna t-talk about it-t."

"Why not?"

Charlie looked down at the floor, "It's scary." His voice was full of emotions. Raw fear.

Alan had known some of the reason why Charlie had suddenly clung to the bear. But he hadn't know the full extent. Margaret had handled the situation.

Roland got an idea, "Charlie. You don't have to talk about it, if you don't want. But can I see Archie? Can I talk to him?"

Charlie giggled and handed the toy to the doctor.

Dr. Roland smiled at the bear, "Hello Archie. Can I have a good look at you?"

Don understood what Roland's idea was. Charlie had remade one of his wounds on the bear, maybe there was a different wound on the bear. A wound that would have been put on the bear when Charlie was 5...

"Hm. Archie? What happened to your arm? You have a cut on it."

Charlie whimpered at the doctor talked, clutching his un-cast arm.

This movement did not go unnoticed by Don nor Alan.

"How did you get that cut, Archie?"

"A-Archie doesn't w-want to talk t-to you right n-now." Charlie said, grabbing for his bear and clutching it.

Dr. Roland bent down, facing Charlie, "Do you remember how we talked about hypnosis?" Charlie nodded, "Would you mind if we did that right now?"

Charlie thought about it, "It won't hurt, will it?"

Roland smiled and shook his head, "No. I promise, it won't hurt. It'll be fun. Like a game."

Charlie blinked, he looked up at Don who gave Charlie a nod of his head. He turned back to his doctor, "Can Donnie hold my hand?"

"Of course."

"Alright. I guess." His voice was hesitant.

"Good." Roland stood up, "Now, Charlie. I need you to lay down on the couch. You can lay your head on Don's lap if you want." Charlie did as he was told. "Alright, I want you to look at the wall ... see that family picture of you all? You look like you were about 5 in that picture. I see you are holding onto Archie. I want you to look at that picture and listen to my voice. When I count to five you will be alseep. One. Two. Three. Four. Five."

Charlie's eyes were closed and he waited patiently.

"Charlie?"

"Yes?"

"Good. You hear me." Roland said simply, "Now. I'm going to ask you some questions. How did Archie get the cut on his arm?"

"I put it there."

"Why?"

"So that he would understand."

"Understand what, Charlie?"

"Me." Charlie's voice was frail.

"What happened to you? I'd like you to tell me." Roland kept his voice smooth and even.

Charlie's face scrunched up in fear, he shook his head slightly, "I don't want to remember." He whispered.

"Please, Charlie. I need to know. You can pretend like it's a story from the book or a movie. But you're the main character."

Some tears escaped Charlie's closed eyes. "Do I have to use me?"

"Of course not. The main character can be Bob. Tell me Bob's story."

Charlie nodded slowly in his sleep, "Bob was special. Every one said so. Bob was so special that he got special teachers. Bob's teachers would sometimes go to Bob's house. Or Bob went to theirs with his Mommy. But Bob's least favorite teacher was at a facility where Bob had to go sometimes."

"Why does Bob not like this teacher?"

"I don't want to tell Bob's story anymore ..." Charlie pleaded. "I'm scared."

"It's okay. Nothing can hurt you, Charlie. Tell me the rest of Bob's story."

Charlie took a breath, "Bob's teacher was mean. He made sure that Bob never got a question wrong." Charlie's voice rose, he was talking faster, "If Bob got a question wrong the teacher would hit me and it hurt. It always hurt. I had to get the answers right or he'd hit me. Mommy and Daddy never knew. They never knew that he hit me." His voice got tight and he started shaking, remembering, "I pleaded Mommy to keep him away from me. But she couldn't do anything. Nothing. She gave me Archie, saying that he would help protect me. Help carry the weight of the questions. But Mommy didn't know that the weight was so painful. She didn't. I was doing so well. I was getting all the answers right. Never get hit. Never. Never. Never." Don had to hold onto Charlie to keep him from falling off the couch. "But Mommy found out after I got the answer wrong. Mommy knows. She tried to fix the cut on Archie. I made her stop. She had to. If it was fixed then Archie wasn't helping carry the weight. I told her. She looked mad. Mommy can't be mad. No. Mommy can't be mad at me. I'm sorry I got the answer wrong. I tried. I tried. I did. Mommy grabbed my sleeve and pulled it up. She found the cut that he had made. Mommy knew. Mommy knew that I was stupid and didn't answer the question right."

"Charlie," Dr. Roland said, more pressed, "What did the teacher do to you? How did he cut your arm?"

"My glass. I had a glass of water. If I got an answer wrong, water got taken away. If I got an answer wrong I got hurt. I had been doing so good. So good. Then I messed up. I was stupid. Never get an answer wrong. It's wrong. I can't get a wrong answer. I get it wrong and I pay. He threw the glass on the floor. I watched the glass break in cleavage, not fracture. He yelled at me. I tried to tell him the right answer. Changing it. But no. Always wrong. I am stupid. I can't get it right." Tears flowed freely from his closed eyes, squirming under Don's grip. "He came at me, with the glass. I tried my best. I did. I did. I tried. But it was wrong. Never give the wrong answer."

Dr. Roland was satisfied with the information he found out. "Charlie. When I count to five you will be awake."

"Wrong. Never. Never."

"One."

"Hurt. No. No. No. Mommy found out."

"Two."

"Stupid. Stupid. I'm stupid."

"Three."

"Always answer it correctly."

"Four."

"Archie understood. He always understood. Always."

"Five."

Charlie's breath calmed, his moving stopped. He opened his eyes and blinked.

Don stared into those eyes. Wide with fear. Don now understood why Charlie had always checked his answers so many times. He couldn't get them wrong. He had paid as a child for getting the answers wrong. He hugged Charlie tightly. He hadn't know that Charlie had gone through that. "Oh, God. Buddy."

Charlie returned the hug. He hadn't wanted them to know. But they knew. They knew what he had gone through, why he would not let Archie go. He knew what he had told them. He knew what story they had asked for.

He struggled out of Don's embrace and clung to Archie.

Just to be hugged again from Alan. Alan was crying for his son. He had no idea what had happened. Margaret hadn't told him the whole story. Just that Charlie was never going to that facility again. She said that Charlie didn't like one of his teachers. She left it at that. He remembered that after that she always interviewed his teachers before leaving them alone. He let go of his son and smiled at him, running his finger's though Charlie's hair. "It's alright, son."

Dr. Roland smiled at Charlie, "You did very good." He just found out some key element into Charlie's mind. He now knew something that Charlie had kept secret. He understood his patient much better. This information would help.

Charlie nodded slowly. "Thanks." His voice still like a child's.

Roland stood up, "How about we play this game again, tomorrow? Hm?"

Charlie looked at his family, then back to the doctor, "I-I guess."

Roland smiled, "Now, I'm going to have to talk to your Daddy and Donnie. Will you be alright in here, by yourself?"

"Yes." Charlie smiled, "I'm a big boy."

"I know you are." Roland walked into the other room as Don and Alan followed. He turned to them, "Hopefully Charlie will either break from this "child mode" by tomorrow, or I will have to work with him after our session." He sighed, "I'm going to hypnotize him again tomorrow. But we will find out some of what Tirry did to him. Hopefully that will bring him back to acting like his regular age if he hasn't gotten out of it by then."

Alan nodded, understanding that Roland didn't want to push his son too far, "So, how should we treat him?"

Roland sighed, "I think you should treat him like how he acts. If he keeps acting like a child, treat him as such. This may make him snap back to acting his real age. But be careful. He is fragile right now."

Alan nodded, "Alright. We can take care of him then."

"But if something should arise ..."

"Call you." Alan nodded. "Alright."

"I'm going to say bye to Charlie and be on my way." Roland nodded to the two and walked into the other room. "Charlie?"

Charlie looked up from his toy cars.

"I'll see you tomorrow. You be a good boy for your Daddy and Donnie, alright?"

"Alright." Charlie smiled up, moving a curl from his face.

"Bye, Charlie." Roland waved as he left the house.

"Buh-bye." Charlie went back to his toy cars. "Vroooom. Errch."


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: Gah. I don't like cake.  
**

* * *

"I want Cake!" Charlie voiced loudly.

"Charlie. Cake is not something you can have for dinner." Alan said, "We will be having meatloaf."

Charlie groaned, "I don't want meatloaf! I want cake!"

"We are not having cake for dinner." Alan said sternly, "But we might be able to have some for dessert."

Charlie smiled, "Yay!"

"But you have to eat all the food from your plate before you get any cake." Alan said nonchalantly as he started making the meatloaf.

Charlie sighed and got off the chair and made his way to the living room. He sat down and looked at what he had been working on.

Picking up the crayon he continued to write the math equation. Hm. No ... we need a different color. He put down the blue crayon and picked up the red one. Yes, much better.

Don walked in and watched Charlie. His hair was covering most of his face and his tongue stuck out of his mouth just a little bit as he worked hard on something. Don walked over to see what it was and when he looked, Don smiled to himself. Even though he was acting like a child, he did the most advanced math.

Don sighed and went into the kitchen and found his dad making diner. He groaned, "Aw. Meatloaf?"

Alan chuckled, "You sound like Charlie. Though he stated that he wanted cake - not meatloaf."

Don smiled, "Cake does sound good."

"Don't go and get idea's in his head. You both are going to eat the meatloaf before I give anyone any cake." Alan scolded his eldest.

Don laughed, "Alright. Alright." He paused, "Are we supposed to give Charlie is medication?"

Alan nodded. "I think we are." He looked at the clock, "And it's time. Donnie, will you give it to him for me?"

Don nodded, "Alright." He grabbed as many pills as was needed and walked into the living room where Charlie had last been seen by him.

"Charlie?"

Charlie looked up from his paper and crayons. "Donnie?" His voice was small.

"Hey, you need to take these." He handed Charlie the pills and a glass of water.

Charlie stared at the pills. He looked up at his brother, eyes wide. "There are so many."

"Well, you don't have to take them all with one swallow. Take a few at a time." Don suggested.

Charlie nodded and did as he was told. When he was done he handed Don the empty glass as the doorbell rang out.

"I'll get it!" Charlie yelled as Don put the glass up. "Hallo!"

Megan smiled at Charlie, "Hello. May we come in?"

"We?"

Megan nodded, smiling. "Larry's here too."

"Larry!" Charlie smiled happily. "Larry is my friend."

"I know that, Charlie." Megan said, a little disappointed that Charlie was not better. "May we come in?"

"Oh!" Charlie moved aside as Megan walked in, soon followed by Larry.

Megan and told Larry some of what Charlie had been like, so that Larry wasn't coming into the house totally unaware. But neither of them knew the full extent of Charlie's child-like behavior.

Charlie was quickly back at his paper writing with his green crayon.

Don walked into the room after he put the glass up and smiled, "Hey, Megan. Larry." He nodded to the two of them.

Megan nodded back, "I said that this morning I would be back to check up on things."

"I'm glad you did." Don said as quietly as he could.

Larry sat down in a chair across from Charlie and picked up a stuffed bear.

Charlie stopped writing and stared at Larry.

Don and Megan watched the two of them. Larry staring at the bear, and Charlie staring at Larry, who seemed to not notice the stare of his friend.

"Larry?" Charlie asked after a length.

Larry quickly looked up, startled, "Charles?"

Charlie couldn't help it. A smile spread across his face and he started giggling.

"Charles?"

Charlie's giggles soon became laughs.

Larry was never that good with young kids and even though this was his friend, he didn't know what to do. he looked at Don and Megan for help.

Don put his hand on Charlie's shoulder, "Hey, Charlie. Stop laughing."

Charlie gradually stopped laughing and he smiled up at Don, "Larry called me _Charles_."

Don nodded slowly, "He always does."

Charlie's mouth opened, then closed. He nodded. "Yeah. But it's _funny_."

"Funny?" Don asked, raising an eyebrow, "I fail to see how that is funny."

Charlie shrugged, "N' I never really thought it was funny till today." he nodded, moving closer to Don, "Donnie?" He whispered.

"Buddy?" Don whispered back.

"Larry's got Archie."

"Do you want Archie?"

Charlie nodded.

"Tell Larry." Don said, "You want Archie, you've got to ask Larry for him."

Charlie pouted and turned toward Larry, who had heard the whole conversation even though they had "whispered".

"Larry?" Charlie asked, timidly.

"Yes, Charles?"

"May I have Archie?"

Larry scrunched up his face, "Who is Archie?"

Charlie pointed, "The bear ..."

Larry nodded, handing the bear over to Charlie who clung to it. "Charles, are you the one who drew the pi symbol on him?"

Charlie nodded as he picked up a crayon, as he bent back over his paper.

"What are you writing, Charlie?" Megan asked.

"A story."

Megan looked at the paper, she raised an eyebrow, "What kind of story? All I see is math equations."

Charlie sighed as he put down his crayon and held onto Archie tighter, "I'm writing a story through math." He rolled his eyes as if it was the simplest thing to understand.

"How are you doing that?"

Charlie shrugged, "I just do it."

"What is the story about?"

Charlie looked down at the floor as he answered, "Toby and Flynn."

The three others all looked at each other. They're faces showing confusion. "Who is Toby and Flynn?"

"A windmill and some blue silly putty."

Alan walked in, "Dinner is ready." He turned to Megan and Larry, "Will you both be joining us?"

"What are you serving?" Larry asked.

"Meatloaf."

Larry shook his head, "No. I think I'll go home and fix me something nice and white."

"And I actually have somewhere I need to be." Megan shrugged.

Alan nodded, "Alright. Well, come on boys. While it's hot."

* * *

Don heard the door open. What time was it? He looked at the clock beside his bed. "What is Charlie doing up at 11:47?"

Don was about to get up from his bed when his door opened and his listened the the pitter-patter of his brother's feet. Don turned over and sat Charlie's head peaking over the edge of the bed. "Buddy?"

"Donnie." In the darkness Don could see the tear stained face.

Don sat up, "Buddy? What's wrong?"

"It's scary." His voice was shaking.

Don noticed that if Charlie were holding onto Archie any tighter that the bear's head would pop off. Don made some room, "Want to sit and tell me why?"

Charlie made his way into Don's bed. "I don't like my room."

"Why not?" Charlie did not answer Don, "Why not?"

"Bad memory."

"Bad memory? What bad memory?" Don asked in the dark.

"I-I don't wanna be in my room by myself. Th-The monster ..." Charlie's voice cracked.

Don sighed, "Alright. You can sleep in here with me. The bed isn't big enough for the two of us though. You can have the bed and I'll sleep on the floor." Don got up to move, but he was stopped when Charlie grabbed his arm.

"N-No. Donnie, I don't wanna be alone. If you're on the floor then he could come again."

"Who is he?" Don asked, worried for his brother.

Charlie shook his head, "It's stupid. He's away. He'll always be away now. But the fear keeps coming, Donnie. Like a monster that hides under the bed. Then he stings, like a bee." He paused, shuttering, "All in a matter of seconds it starts. Then I wake up cold and alone."

Don sighed, understanding. "Buddy? This is your first night back in your room. I understand why you are scared." He ran his hand through his hair, "I guess you can sleep with me tonight. But tomorrow you'll have to sleep in your room. Understand?"

Charlie nodded. "I understand, Donnie."

Don sighed as he and Charlie got situated in the bed. "Good night, Charlie."

"G'Night, Donnie." Charlie snuggled into the bed with a smile on his face.

* * *

"I want Cake!" Charlie voiced loudly.

"Charlie. Cake is not something you can have for breakfast." Alan said, "We will be having pancakes."

Charlie groaned, "I don't want pancakes! I want cake!"

"We are not having cake for breakfast." Alan said sternly, "Anyway, You love pancakes."

Charlie sulked in the chair, "I don't love pancakes."

"What are you talking about?" Alan asked, "You always ate them. As many as your mom made for you. You ate all of them."

"Doesn't mean I liked them." Charlie mumbled, crossing his arms and slumping.

Alan turned to Charlie, "What are you saying?"

Charlie looked up at his dad with child-like eyes. "I don't like pancakes and I never did."

"Then why did you always eat them?" Alan tilted his head, wanting to know the answer.

"Mommy made them for me." Charlie hugged Archie, "I miss Mommy."

Alan felt tears sting his eyes. "Yeah. I miss her too."

"I want cake. Not as in pan_cake._ I want real cake."

"No." Alan said forcefully.

"I want a pop tart then!" Charlie voiced loudly.

Alan thought for a moment, "Charlie. I don't think we have pop tarts. You haven't wanted one in years."

Charlie's smile fell. "Oh." He paused, "Do we have cereal?"

"What kind?"

Charlie thought about it. "Cookie Crisp."

Alan stared at his son, "I don't know if they make that anymore."

"I think they do." Don said, yawning and walking into the room.

"I want Cookie Crisp."

"I heard you before, Charlie." Alan said, simply, sighing. "We don't have any."

"But I want Cookie Crisp."

"I'll go to the store if you want, Charlie." Don said.

"Will you get me Cookie Crisp?"

Don nodded. "And anything else we might need."

"I'll make you a list." Alan said.

"Make sure you put Cookie Crisp on it."


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: Update time! Aren't you all so glad? If you are then review.  
It's like the song ...  
_If you're happy for the update, review for it  
If you're happy for the update, review for it  
If you're happy for the update, then you should show it  
If you're happy for the update, review for it  
_("_If You're Happy And You Know It _...")**

* * *

Dr. Harry Roland was disappointed when he saw the teddy bear in Charlie's arms as he ate Cookie Crisp.

Alan sighed as he led the doctor in the room, knowing full-well that he would be disappointed. "Charlie?"

Charlie looked up and smiled, "Hiya, Dr. Roland."

"Hello, Charlie. Archie." Harry nodded at the two of them. He sat down in a chair across from Charlie, "How was your first night at home?" He tried to keep his voice sounding casual.

Charlie took a bite of his cereal before answering, "Scary."

"Scary?"

Charlie nodded, taking another bite, "In my room, it's scary."

Alan spoke up quietly, "Charlie, don't talk with your mouth full."

Charlie sighed, chewed, then swallowed his food, "My room is scary."

"What did you do? To cope with the fear?"

Charlie took a breath, "Donnie." He nodded, his mouth set in a line. "Donnie."

"Donnie? What did Donnie do?" Roland asked.

"I went into Donnie's room, because he would keep me safe." His voice, small, scared.

"Safe from what?" Roland kept his voice, light.

"Safe from the darkness, hurt, the bee sting in my neck, waking up cold and alone." Charlie's voice cracked. He had fear written all over his face.

"Want to talk about the cause of your fears?" Harry asked.

Charlie shook his head, forgetting about the cereal, hugging Archie as tight as he could.

Roland sighed, "Want to play that game again? The one where you go to sleep?"

Charlie shook his head, "Not without Donnie here."

"Where is Donnie?" Harry asked, looking about and not seeing the brother.

"He had to go to his anger school." Charlie stated, "And I don't want to play that game if Donnie isn't here to protect me."

* * *

Regina watched Don as he milled about the snack table after class. Don hadn't really spoken in class at all, and she understood. He had paid attention to her lecture about keeping your 'cool', or she hoped he did. "What's wrong, Don?" She asked, "Normally you would have left class by now."

Don sighed, "I got mad at Charlie yesterday. It wasn't his fault and I got mad."

Regina raised an eyebrow, "How did he take it?" She knew the basics about Charlie, but only what she needed to know in order to get Don through the class.

"He got scared." Don sighed.

"And what did you do?"

"I apologized as soon as I calmed down." Don shrugged.

"Then?" She kept her voice smooth.

"Then we were okay. But I still feel guilty for getting mad at him." Don hung his head.

"Today's class is over, you can go home now ..." She suggested.

Don sighed, "I'll see you next class, then."

Regina shook her head, "No you won't. This was your last class, Don. Congrats. You graduated Anger Management School."

"I? ... What?" Don asked, shocked.

"You passed. All I have to do is sign some papers and give them to your boss."

"You're joking."

"Nope. You're free to go." Regina smiled at him.

* * *

Don was smiling as he opened the door. He had noted that Roland's car was parked out front, so not wanting to disturb what they were talking about, he came in the back door.

"Donnie?!" Charlie's voice rang out.

Don sighed. So, he wouldn't' have interrupted anything.

"Donnie?!" His voice sang with worry.

"Yeah, It's me, Buddy." Don called back, getting himself a beer before going into the living room. He walked in and found Charlie sitting on the couch while Alan was going through a sudoku book and Roland was facing Charlie in a chair.

Charlie's face lit up when Don walked in, "Donnie!"

"Hey, Buddy. How's it going?"

"He wants me to play that game again." Obviously , 'He' was Dr. Roland.

"Do you not want to play?" Don sat down next to Charlie.

Charlie shrugged. "It's a scary game. I don't like it."

"I want you to play the game again." Don said, knowing that his brother needed help and hypnosis would help him a lot.

Charlie's shoulder's slumped. "Alright. I guess we can play the game again." His voice was quiet.

Roland sighed, glad that Charlie had finally agreed. "Alright, Charlie lay down again."

Charlie did as he was told. Frightened of what the doctor was going to make him relive again.

He was scared. Why couldn't they just leave him alone? Not just the people, but the fears and the nightmares that he saw whenever he closed his eyes. Why did it all have to happen to him? Was it a kind of justice for his mom, because he didn't spend the last months of her life with her? He felt as if he deserved it if that was the case.

He opened his eyes when Don said his name. "Donnie?"

"Ready to start?" Don asked, in a protective voice.

Yes. Donnie was there. As long as Donnie was there, he was safe. No matter what the monster's were. Donnie would protect him. Don would have protected him earlier, but Charlie hadn't told him. He had wanted to battle those monsters by himself, without his brother thinking that he was weak. But now Donnie wasn't thinking, he knew. He knew that Charlie was weak. Charlie was not strong like Donnie. He was acting like a child - not someone his age, not staying strong. And Charlie hated himself for giving in to the horrors and letting them control him.

It wasn't the first time Charlie let something control him. He had let math control him a lot. But nothing like this had ever happened. He had never broken this much when math controlled him. He missed math, but his fears wouldn't let him go into his room. Or the garage. His fears wouldn't even let him be alone. He always had to have someone with him. Daddy, Donnie, Dr. Roland, Megan, Archie. Always someone. Charlie hated letting his fears control him. Stupid fears.

"Yeah." Charlie answered.

Soon Charlie was asleep again, ready to tell any secret they asked, ready to tell them the truth from the lies, ready to let them control him - instead of his fears or math.

"Charlie," Dr. Roland began, "Could you count the days when you were in the basement?"

"Yes."

"How did you know?" He was actually curious. He wouldn't be able to see any light while in the basement, so the only way Roland could think of being able to tell was if Tirry had told him.

"He came once a day. Came to hurt me, once a day." Charlie answered, his voice even.

Don's inside dropped. That is not a way to count the days. It would be horrible thinking _Hm. Well, I'm bleeding now, it must have been one more day. That makes day three._ He listened as Roland asked another question.

"Charlie, I want you to tell me about your last day."

Charlie's hand twitched, "I don't know exactly when it switches days."

"How about just tell the last thing Tirry did to you ..." Roland's voice, quiet.

"I had been trying to drown out what they were saying when he came." Charlie's voice strong, knowing what he was talking about.

"_They_?"

"The hallucinations. They wouldn't shut up. Always there. Talking, taunting." His voice cracked, "He came and yelled at me for talking, not shutting up. But I was talking to make them shut up. He had something for me. Claimed to be a present. No one believed him. They glared at him. Or me. I don't know. Couldn't tell." His talking started to come faster, "I didn't even try to move. Moving hurt. Moving meant more pain. But he came anyway. He always comes to hurt."

"What did he do? Charlie?"

"Something forced in my mouth. Made it stay open. Then the taste. Thick liquid. I had trouble breathing. I couldn't stop coughing. I don't know how long it went on. But my insides started to burn from it. When I opened my eyes it was dark and he was gone. But they were still there. They are always there. Never giving me peace. Then they speak in numbers, telling me things through equations."

"And how did that make you feel? Them talking in equations?"

"It calmed me. Math. I had missed it. 57.641592653589. 57.641592653589 was the only other math I did. Th-Then I saw two Megan's. One spoke math, like the others. The other didn't. I thought that was strange."

"And the other Megan? The one who didn't speak in math?"

"She touched me. Not right for them to do. They can't touch. Not real. But she did." Charlie didn't seem to be breathing anymore.

"Breath, Charlie. Breath." Roland's voice was rushed.

Charlie was talking so fast, he was having trouble getting breathe, "Then Donnie came and he saw. He can't see. If he sees then it's real. Colby too. They stared at me like I was an animal in a cage. Like I didn't matter, or like I mattered too much. All at once." His breathing wasn't getting much better.

"Charlie!" Roland yelled, knowing that he needed to wake his patient. "When I get to five you will be awake!"

Charlie's body started twitching.

"One. Three. Five!" Roland hurried the counting.

Charlie's eyes snapped open, he dropped Archie, letting his body go limp. His breathing slowly began to get normal.

"Charlie?"

He shook his head. Charlie didn't want to talk. He didn't want to listen.

Alan put his hand on Charlie's arm, causing his son to look at him.

Alan knew right away. He smiled big. "Charlie!"

Don watched his dad and brother. Something was different. He smiled. "Hey, Buddy? Wanna say something?"

Charlie shook his head.

"Alright." Don nodded. "That's fine."

Charlie nodded and closed his eyes.

"You tired?"

Charlie nodded again.

"Alright. Go ahead and get some sleep. I know you didn't sleep well last night." Don said, "Want to sleep here on the couch?"

Another nod escaped.

"Okay then, Buddy. We'll be in the other room." Don collected the two other's with his eyes and they made their way to the other room.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: Thanks to SyberiaWinx for another idea.  
And sorry to all Charlie/Amita fans. Just remember that in this story, Amita is at Harvard.**

**

* * *

**

Charlie woke up when it was dark out. All the lights where off. He sat up slowly. His head hurt, a headache. Standing up on unsteady feet, he made his way to the bathroom when the light in the hallway snapped on. He looked up at it with his pain-filled eyes. "Don?"

"Hey, Charlie." Don said, coming down the stairs, "Good to see you join the living."

"What time is it?" Charlie asked, rather baffled.

"1:28 in the morning." Don stated simply. He noted Charlie's sway, "You alright, Buddy?"

"Headache." Charlie muttered, falling down into a seat.

"I'll get you some aspirin." Don said, the he paused, "Can we mix your medications with aspirin?"

Charlie shrugged.

Don sighed and went to get his brother some aspirin. He came back with a glass of water as well. "Here ya go."

Charlie gratefully took them and nodded his thanks. He swallowed them with expert ease.

"You alright, Buddy?" Don's voice was tinted with worry.

"Headache." Charlie repeated, tapping his temple with his index finger.

Don nodded, "Alright. I'm just glad that we got you back, Buddy."

"Back? From what?" His voice sounded exhausted.

"From Tirry, From you're child-like behavior." Don answered simple with a shrug.

"What are you doing up?" Charlie asked, eyeing Don.

"Couldn't sleep, I guess. And why are you up?"

"Same. And the headache." Charlie answered with a sigh.

"Maybe in a few we can both get some sleep?" Don suggested.

"Maybe."

Don bent down, so that he was eye level with his brother, "Buddy? What's the matter?"

"Dunno."

Don thought this through. A lot had happened to his brother, and Charlie had been traumatized by it. Not to mention Charlie had those mood swings due to him being bipolar. "Charlie?" Charlie looked up, his eyes brown eyes wide with a sense of pain, "How are you feeling?"

"Depressed."

Don sighed, "I bet. But it'll be better, I promise." He stood up, "Let's go to bed."

Don helped his brother up and got him put into bed. "I'll see you in the morning." Don said simply, "Because you're going to sleep in your room tonight? Right?"

"Sure." Charlie answered, turning over in his bed.

Don nodded, assured that Charlie would sleep in his bed tonight. Then he went to sleep in his bed.

* * *

Don woke up around six in the morning. He was glad that he had slept through-out the night without Charlie coming into his room. But he needed to check on his brother, just to make sure that everything was alright.

Don's thoughts were getting the best of him. _Charlie didn't come into my room last night. I expected him to come in, scared. And he was acting depressed last night before I put him in his room to sleep. I had given him some aspirin! What if that had some strange effects with the other medication he's on? Oh, God. What if ..._

Don hurried to his brother's room. It was quiet inside, but that didn't help his thoughts any. He threw the door open and saw an empty bed, "Charlie?!" He looked around the room frantically. "Charlie?! Answer me right now!" He listened as he saw no sign of his brother.

But then he heard a slight whimper, "Charlie?" Don followed the noise, like someone or something was moving. He opened the door to the closet and found Charlie laying among his clothes. He bent down to his brother, "Hey, Buddy? You alright?"

Charlie nodded shakily. "Think so."

Don waited, expecting Charlie to come out, but when he didn't, Don got more worried, "Why don't you come out here?"

"Don't really want to." Charlie's voice soft and quiet.

Don nodded and sighed, "Alright." So his brother felt safe in the closet, alright. That's fine. "Why are you in the closet?"

"Because he can't get Charlie in here." He replied, monotone.

Don swallowed, "Charlie?"

"Charlie's not here right now. Please go away."

"Buddy, I'm not going away." Don said, forcefully.

"Charlie is lost and can't be found." Tears filled his eyes, "Charlie wants his brother, Don, to find him, but Charlie doesn't know if he can be discovered."

Don took a quick intake of breath, "Charlie wants Don to find him?"

Charlie nodded.

"Well, Don wants to find Charlie. Can you help me find him?"

Charlie shook his head quickly, "Charlie's gone and he needs help. Charlie can't get help, please help him."

"I'm trying to help him. Can you get a message to him from me?"

"M-Maybe."

"Tell Charlie that I, Don - his brother, wants him to come back. And that I have faith that he will come back." Don was scared. What if he couldn't get across to his brother. He had acted sort of normal last night.

"Can't tell Charlie. Can't find Charlie. He's gone, Don. He's lost and afraid."

Don sighed, he needed to get Charlie back. "Listen, Buddy. You are Charlie ..."

"No. Charlie's not here right now." Charlie said, "Charlie is away."

Don cursed. "You are Charlie. You are my little brother, Charles Edward Eppes!"

"No. Charles Edward Eppes is not here!"

Don growled and grabbed Charlie, losing his temper, "You are Charlie!"

"Don, you're hurting Charlie!"

Don tightened his grip, getting an idea, "Yes. I am hurting Charlie. And you feel it too, right?"

"Y-Yes." Tears flowed from the young man's eyes.

"Yes. That's right, Buddy." Don calmed his voice down, "That's right. Because you are Charlie."

"B-But Charlie's not h-here!" He sobbed.

"But Charlie feels the pain right?" Charlie nodded and Don continued, "So, is he coming back? To tell me to stop the pain?"

"M-Maybe. Don't kn-know."

"He is coming. I know he is. He is coming because he doesn't want to be lost anymore." Don stated, "And soon you will realize that you are Charlie."

"B-But ..." Charlie protested.

"No, Buts." Don said forcefully, "You are Charlie!" He tightened his grip again.

Charlie squirmed under the hold, "... D-Don't kn-know!"

"What don't you know?"

"I. I don't know!" He sobbed. "Donnie, you're hurting me!"

Don let go. Charlie had stopped talking in third person. "Buddy? Charlie?"

A sharp intake of breath, "Don. I ... I don't know."

"What don't you know?" His voice was soft.

Charlie looked up, his eyes caught Don's. The look in his eyes sent chills down Don's back. "I don't know what had happened."

"It's alright, Buddy."

"No, Don." Charlie's anger flaring, "It's not alright! I couldn't control myself or what I said. I haven't been able to in a long time! I couldn't control myself in that basement - lack of medications and the pain. Oh, Don, the pain. I couldn't control it! Then in the hospital everyone is taking care of me, can't control that. Come home and what do I do? I freak out and start acting like a child! Why, Don? Why did I start acting like a child?" Don opened his mouth, as if to say something, but Charlie kept going, "Then I woke up from the session with Dr. Roland and it's like I'm not there! I was detached, unable to control myself! Go and hide in the closet, unable to help myself!"

"Charlie, calm down." Don said, "Just breath in and out. When you calm down we'll get you downstairs and we can give you something to help you."

Charlie nodded slightly, calming himself down. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"It's alright, Buddy. Not your fault."

"Yeah." Charlie sighed, "Another thing I can't control by myself - my mind."

* * *

Charlie raised his eyebrows in confusion. "What?"

"I am sorry to be the one to tell you this Charles. But she did ask me to tell you."

Charlie blinked, "So, you're saying that Amita doesn't even respect me enough to tell me herself?"

Larry opened his mouth, unsure on how to answer that, "I think it's just because of how close you two once were ... maybe she thought it would be uncomfortable to tell you?"

Charlie sighed, "But we didn't really do anything. It just kept blowing up in our face. She doesn't really have much of a reason for not telling me herself. Through email or phone even."

"She did tell me over the phone."

"I know. But she should have done the same for me." Charlie ran his hand through his hair.

"But she told me to tell you that you are invited to it." Larry said, quietly.

Charlie scoffed, "What? She thinks that it would be strange to tell me - over the phone, that she is getting married but I can come to their wedding?"

"Apparently so."

Charlie shook his head. "Yeah. My life just gets better by the second." Charlie said sarcastically.

Larry shot a glare at his friend, "You will not talk like that. You just need to be upbeat about it all."

In a fake happy voice, he replied, "Yeah. My life just gets better by the second."

"Charles. That is not amusing."

"Sorry." Charlie whispered.

"It's alright, Charles. I can understand the way you are feeling. It is only natural that you would be angry."

Charlie sighed and closed his eyes. His hand went up to his temple and he started to massage it.

"Charles?" Larry asked, worried.

"Just a headache, Larry." Charlie answered, opening his eyes with a quick smile, he added, "Nothing to get worried about."

"I shall go and fetch you some aspirin." Larry got up and started to make his way to the medicine cabinet.

"Larry?" Don asked as Larry wondered around the room, seemingly lost.

"Donald." Larry addressed him, "Where do you keep your aspirin?"

Don got up, "Over this way ..." He lead Larry to their medicine cabinet and handed Larry the bottle, "Why?"

"Charles has a headache." Larry answered simply.

Don's stomach fell. Does he still have a headache? Or is it a different one? Don followed Larry to were Charlie sat with his eyes closed. "Charlie?" Don asked as Larry got out some aspirin from the bottle.

Charlie opened his eyes and looked at the both of them, "What?" His tone on edge.

"How often have you been getting these headaches?" Don asked, worried.

Charlie shrugged, on the defense as he swallowed the aspirin that Larry had given him.

"Charlie." Don's tone hard, "How long have you been getting these headaches?"

Charlie sighed, giving into Don's question, "Since it returned."

Larry's eyebrows stitched together, "Since what returned?"

Charlie lifted hid hand to the back of his head, "This."

Don walked around and felt the back of his brother's head, just to pull his hand back right away. "That is some bump you have on your head, Buddy." Don tried to make his voice even.

"I believe you used the word 'returned'?" Larry asked, as he too, felt the bump.

Charlie nodded, then he closed his eyes tight. "God, I need to stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Moving."

"Why?"

"It makes me dizzy." Charlie said as he felt himself being pushed down deeper into the chair when he had tried to get up.

Don cursed to himself. "Tell me about the bump."

Charlie opened his eyes and sighed, "It's the reason why I was in the hospital so long."

"I'm sorry, Charles. But I don't understand." Larry said.

Charlie licked his lips before continuing, "I would have been released a few days earlier except that I still had the bump on my head. I-I kept having problems with it. Headaches, dizziness, nausea ..."

"But those are not any real reasons to keep you." Don said, "Heck, sounds like you just had a concussion. They've seen me home before with one of those."

"Yeah," Charlie sighed, "Except that it was still there, that I still had the symptoms of a concussion."

"I still don't ..."

"Donald." Larry said, facing the agent, "Those symptoms should have departed by the time he got to the hospital. Because ..." He turned to Charlie, "And I am only assuming here, so if I am wrong, feel free to correct me." He turned back to Don, "Because Charles had been hit on the head a while before he went to the hospital. Then when it kept showing the symptoms - they thought that maybe something was wrong." Back to Charlie, "Am I correct?"

"More or less."

Don sighed. Larry was right. He stood up, "Well, we've got to get to the hospital right away, then."

Charlie looked up at Don with eyes that seemed to say, _What? Are you crazy?,_ "No. I will not go back there. There isn't any need for me to go to the hospital."

"But there is a need. They wouldn't have let you out as long as it was there and now that it came back ..."

"No. I will not go." Charlie said forcefully. "I've got enough things going wrong in my life that I don't need go back there!" He stood up to try and make his point better, but when he did ... he fell back into the chair unconscious.

"Charlie!" Don yelled, rushing over to his brother.

Larry ran up to the two brothers, "Shall I get my car started so that we can take him to the hospital?"

Don nodded, trying to wake Charlie.

Don ended up carrying him to Larry's car and putting him in the back seat while Larry drove to the hospital.

About half way there, Charlie sat up, breathing deeply, eyes wide. "What's going on?!"  
"We are taking you to the hospital, buddy." Don said, trying to calm his brother down, pushing him back into a laying position.

"Turn around!" Charlie cried out, "Turn around now!"

"You need to get this checked out!"

"I do not! I'm fine!"

"Shit, Charlie! You are not fine!" Don yelled, "You stood up and passed out! That is not fine!"

"I'm sorry, Charles," Larry said as he made a left turn, "But I am inclined to side with Donald."

Charlie struggled against Don, "No! No! No! Turn around!"

"Keep driving, Larry." Don said, keeping Charlie down as best he could. "Charlie, I will drag you into the hospital kicking and screaming if I have too! Will I have too?"

Charlie strived to break his brother's grasp, "I don't want to or need to go to the hospital! What I need and want is to go home!"

"Charlie, you need to calm down and stop trying to get loose," Don advised Charlie, "Or you will pass out again."

And just as he said those words, Charlie suddenly went limp, eyes closed.  
He had indeed, passed out again.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: Yay! New chapter!  
****

* * *

**

_He wasn't stopping. But Charlie wanted him to stop. And yet, at the same time Charlie wanted him to continue._

_Charlie hated his conflicting thoughts. It wasn't right to want someone to hurt you. But when he got hit, it made him feel more real. Charlie stifled another cry as the hammer connected with his hand. He heard the bones crack under the blunt force._

_An excited voice reached Charlie's ears, "Now don't be like that, Chuck! Yell and scream as much as you want!" Tirry swung the hammer again. "Please do not hold back. I promise that if you don't hold back that I won't hold back either!" He chuckled merrily._

_'I won't hold back either'? Charlie wanted him to hold back. He didn't like the pain that spread though his already broken body._

_"ChuUuck." Tirry sang out happily, "I know that you are not a deaf-mute. So please do speak up and scream for me."_

_Charlie swallowed, licking his dry lips as the hammer came back down and crashed into his chest. He yelled out this time, unable to stop himself._

_Tirry grinned, "Much better, Chuck!" He swung the hammer at his chest again as Charlie heard his ribs crack._

_Charlie wanted to scream at Tirry, 'Don't call me Chuck!', but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Whenever he did get his mouth open, it was either a scream of pain or nothing came out all except a small squeak._

_Charlie watched the hammer with wide eyes. He couldn't do anything to stop it. It just kept hitting him._

_Charlie could feel his flesh move and break as the hammer connected with each swing. "You are stupid, you know? Don thinks so too. Why else isn't he here saving you? It's the truth and you know it."_

_Tirry stopped and raised an eyebrow, letting the hammer dangle at his side. "Hmm. I wonder ..." He said with a twinkle in his eyes. He hefted the hammer, "Don't move, Chuck. If you move I might miss."_

_Charlie watched as the hammer came around his face and he felt it as it collided with the back of his head, causing him to black out right away.

* * *

_

Charlie bolted upright in the bed. He panted as he felt the sweat slide down his face and down his back. He heard some beeping noises and he looked around.

They had taken him to a hospital.

And miraculously, he was alone.

But he wouldn't stay here. He didn't need to be in the hospital. He needed to be at home. Maybe in the garage - yes, the garage is what he needed.

Charlie sighed and ran his hand though his hair, wincing when his hand flew over the bump.

He pulled the IV's out of his arms and looked around - spotting his clothes he went and changed as quick as he could.

Now he just had to escape the hospital.

He ignored the machines in his room as they sounded from being unattached to him. Charlie knew he didn't have much time - the machines would draw nurses and doctors and they'd find him gone.

As quietly as he could, Charlie walked out of his room and closed the door.

Now all he needed to do was pick a direction and go. Left or Right? Good question. Charlie sighed and closed his eyes, willing for the headache to go away. Left.

Setting out, Charlie had to sometimes put his hand on the wall to support himself so that he didn't fall down from dizziness.

Corner. A corner up ahead. Maybe around the corner is a map of the hospital so that Charlie could find his way out of the labyrinth of halls.

Charlie turned the corner, his hand following behind him on the wall. He closed his eyes as his head's throbbing increased.

"Charlie!"

Charlie opened his eyes to see Don both glaring and watching him worriedly.

Charlie quickly stood up straight and took his hand off the wall - hoping against hope that he would be able to stand up and stay standing.

He swallowed, shooting pain through his dry throat, "I knew I should have turned right."

"Charlie, what are you doing?" Don asked as he reached his brother.

"Getting out of here. I don't need to be in here." Charlie said stubbornly.

Don sighed impatiently, "You are going back into your room."

"Bed room maybe. But not the hospital room." Charlie said, turning around so that he could go down the other hall. But when he turned the dizziness increased and soon he found himself on the floor.

Don quickly reached down and pulled Charlie up. "You are going back to the hospital room right now."

Charlie pushed himself out of Don's grasp. "I don't need your help, Don." Charlie spat out. He closed his eyes tightly as flashes from his dream flew across his eyes. "Oh, God. Make it stop. Please." He whispered as he rubbed his temples.

Don sighed as he watched his brother. Charlie could be so stubborn sometimes. Don walked up to his brother and grabbed him by and arm and drug him back into his room and pushed him onto his bed, "You will stay."

Charlie sat up, "I will ..." he sat down quickly, "... not." He said weakly.

"Charlie, I hope you realize that I had planned on being in your room when you woke so that you wouldn't do something stupid like that."

Charlie sighed as he remembered, _"You are stupid, you know? Don thinks so too. Why else isn't he here saving you?"_

"I had just walked out for a minute to call work and tell them that I wouldn't be coming in today or tomorrow." Don paused, "And Larry is out calling dad."

Charlie chuckled harshly, it scared him because in his mind, he sounded just like Tirry, "You let _Larry _call _Dad_? You're never going to hear the end of this."

"Neither are you." Don said forcefully, "You knew that he needed to go to the hospital as soon as the bump came back - but you didn't."

Charlie couldn't get the memory from his mind, _"Don't move, Chuck. If you move I might miss."_ Charlie could feel and hear the crack of his hammer to his head again and he winced. Subconsciously moving his hand to touch his head.

But his hand got slapped away, "Don't touch it." Don scolded.

Dr. Mina Flint walked in, "He's right, Charlie. You shouldn't touch it." She looked at him a bit, "Why are you dressed and not hooked up to the IV's like I left you?"

"Charlie," Don emphasized his brother's name, "Tried to escape."

Flint's eyebrows raised, "Escape. We are not a prison."

Charlie opened his eyes, "Then I get to go home now." He stood up just to be pushed back down by Don and Mina.

"No." They both said at the same time.

Mina looked over Charlie, "Other than the bump coming back, it seems as if you are dehydrated and malnourished." She paused and pursed her lips together, "What is the last thing you ate and/or drank?"

"Cookie Crisp." He paused, "But when I had my aspirin, I drank some water."

"And sleep?"

"On the couch after a session with Dr. Roland." Charlie sighed. "Can I go home, _now_?"

"No you may not, Charles." Larry answered as he walked in the room. "You have me and Don quiet a scare."

Charlie forced a grin, "But I'm alright. See? Can I please go now?"

Mina rubbed her temple.

Charlie pointed, "See? She's got a headache too. You all aren't sticking IV's in her."

Mina stopped and shot Charlie a glare, "I also have not been through a traumatic experience where I got hurt in the head. And where a bump that had disappeared came back." She paused, "And you made a point with the IV's." She grabbed them. "Don, Larry? Will you please hold the patient down for me?"

Don nodded and he shoved his brother down on the bed.

"Hey! Don!" Charlie protested. "You're hurting me!"

Larry gingerly placed his hands on Charlie's other side, not wanting to hurt his friend.

Mina grabbed the IV's and put them back into Charlie's arms. "Keep those in."

Don and Larry let go, but as soon as they did, Charlie went to pull the IV's out.

Don forced Charlie's hands to his sides. "I'm sorry, Buddy. But this is the best thing for you."

"B-Best thing? Donnie, you are forcing me against my will to get medications forced in my body though tubes! The best thing for me is to home!"

"No it is not. Charlie, you passed out twice today. All within an hour. You need medical attention.

"I do no-" Charlie's eyes widened as he watched Mina walk toward his IV's with a syringe. "No. Please, No."

"I'm sorry, but I think we may have to put you out for bit." She said as she plunged the syringe into the IV.

Don could feel Charlie stop struggling as much under his grasp.

"Heeey." Charlie said, trying to glare at the three of them, "Tha's nottt vewy niccce." He yawned, "Ya madde mee sweepy." He tried to keep his eyes open, but it wasn't working. Soon he was asleep

* * *

Alan watched in amusement as Charlie woke up.

He was groggy and dazed. Not to mention confused for a moment before he remembered what happened. He looked around after his eyes were open for three minutes.

"Dad?"

"Hey, Charlie." Alan smiled, "How you feeling?"

"Crappy." His head fell to one side before he moved it back to where it should be. "You got put on guard watch, then?" He asked slowly, as if the words where hard to get out.

"No. I wanted to be here." Alan reassured his son soothingly.

Charlie scoffed. "Sure, like I believe that."

Alan stared at his son, "It's the truth."

Charlie winced. _"It's the truth and you know it."_

"Son? What's the matter?"

"What? Nothing."

"Don't lie to me, Charlie." Alan scolded. "Something is wrong."

"Memories." Charlie answer distantly.

Alan took an intake of breath, "And not good memories?"

"Nope."

Alan put his hand on Charlie's shoulder, "I'm sorry that you have to remember it all. If I could I would take all the pain away."

Charlie chuckled hollowly to that, "Let's just put me though ECT again. Tha'd get rid of the memories."

"Don't even joke."

"Sorry." Charlie's eyes were downcast.

Alan stood up, "Alright. Now that you're up I'm supposed to tell Dr. Flint." He turned to Charlie, "Just don't try to escape again."

"Alright." Charlie sighed. But once Alan was out of the room he got restless. He needed to do something. He sat up and waited for the dizziness to subside, then he swung his legs over the side of the bed and got ready to made his way to the bathroom so that he could splash his face with cold water - hoping that will wake him up more. He had drug the IV stand with him and he closed the door.

But soon there were angry voices coming from his room. Charlie casually listened.

"He ran away again!"  
"At least this time he took the IV's with him."  
"I guess he didn't keep his promise."

Charlie sighed as he opened the door, "I didn't run away and I didn't promise to stay. I went into the bathroom." He came out as Don, Alan, and Dr. Flint.

Charlie made his way back to his bed as the three of them watched him. He sat down and stared at them, "When can I go home?"

"Later." Don answered, he still seemed a little angry of the though that he would have tried to run away again.

"So, what's wrong with me? Do you know yet?"

Alan gaped at his son, "Charlie ..."

Mina raised her hand, "No, It's alright Mr. Eppes." She turned to Charlie, "While you were sleeping-"

"Knocked out from drugs ..."

"Yes, well .. while you were out we ran some head scans on you. Now all we have to do is wait until they come back."

"Fine. But after the head scans come back and I'm in the clear - can I go home?"

"I can't guarantee it." Mina said slowly.

"Fine." Charlie grumbled, getting comfortable in his bed. "Then while we wait - can I get anything for my headache that will actually work?"

Mina smiled, "I'll go and find something."


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: Well ... I can tell you right now that this story is longer than the previous. -chuckles- oh well.

* * *

**

Dr. Mina Flint put the scans up. "Well, Charlie." She started, "For some reason the bump showed up. I am not for sure why." Her voice was light and airy, "And I would like for you to come back in here for another check up in two days." She sighed and studied the photo. "When I felt for the bump a few moments ago - it was gone. So, you may go home. But you must be monitored and if something like this happens again, you must tell someone right away." She turned and faced her patient and his family, "Is that understood?"

Don nodded.

"Of course. We will take care of him." Alan voiced.

Charlie smiled. "I getta go hooome."

Don eyed the doctor, "Is this a joke?"

"I'm sorry Agent Eppes, is What a joke?"

Don pointed to Charlie who stared at Don's index finger. "You gave him drugs that made him high to get rid of his headache."

Mina grinned, "It was the easiest to use, best for him." She paused, "It should wear off in a few hours." She left the three of them so that they could collect everything and go home.

Charlie's grin fell as he looked around his hospital room.

"What's the matter, buddy?" Don asked, worried.

"My mind's all funny." His voice was high pitched.

Don raised his eyebrows, "Uh. That's because of the drug they gave you for the headache. I think. What do you mean, 'all funny'?"

Charlie pursed his mouth, thinking. "I dunno. Jus' is." He smiled, "But I getta go home now, right?"

"Yes, Charlie. We're going home now." Alan answered as they made their way out of the hospital.

"Good. I like home. It's all ... home-y n' stuff." Charlie answered, his eyes slightly glazed over from the drug.

Don and Alan shared a glance as they directed him to the car. Charlie got in the car happily and put on his set-belt. "These keep us safe incase of a crash!" Charlie informed them.

Don shook his head as his cell phone rang.

"PHONE!"

"Yes, I know Charlie." Don said as he grabbed his cell, "Eppes ... Oh hey. Yeah, sorry about that. Things have been a little hectic here."

Charlie leaned forward into Don's other ear, "Is it Naaancy?"

Don ignored his brother, "Yeah. Sure tha'd be fine."

"Naaaancy."

"Alright. Yeah. How about around 6? ... Good. Yeah. You too." Don hung up.

"Naaaaancy!"

Don turned to his brother, "Nancy says Hi."

"I knew it!" Charlie said smugly, setting back in his seat. "It was Nancy and Nancy it was."

Alan started the car, "And how is she?"

"Nancy is doing fine. She was just wondering what was going on because I hadn't called her in a while." Don said with a shrug.

"6." Charlie nodded, "What are you planning at 6?"

"I uh. I actually invited her over to eat dinner with us." Don paused, "I figured that would be fine with the two of you."

Alan nodded as he got on the freeway, "That is fine by me."

"I'm hungry."

Don sighed, "We'll be home soon and then you can eat something."

"Good. Coz I'm hungry."

"I know, Charlie. We'll be home soon." Don said, starting to get annoyed with his drugged up brother already.

Sure, it was nice seeing him so happy again - but this was ridiculous. Even when Charlie had the best day of his life he wasn't like this. Charlie was acting like ... an idiot. Don sighed and rubbed his forehead as Charlie started talking about who knows what. He felt the car come to a stop and he looked up to see the house in front of him.

Don and Alan got out of the car easily enough, but then Charlie was starting at the door of the car. "Donnie!" Don could hear his brother's voice through the glass. He turned and stared at his brother. "I can't seem to get th' door open." He smirked.

Don matched his brother's smirk as he opened the door casually - worried of what Charlie was planning. "Alright, Chuck. Come on out."

Charlie's face went limp. "Oh God. No!" He backed away from Don, to the other side of the car until his back was against that window. "No!" His face had paled about two shades and Don watched as sweat formed on Charlie's brow. He was starting to have trouble breathing.

Don climbed into the car, "Charlie. Buddy. Calm down right now. Breath, Buddy."

"Don't!" Charlie managed to say between gasps.

"Don't what?" Don asked, worried. "Don't what, Charlie?"

"Do that!" Charlie answered, high pitched.

"Do what, Charlie, you have to answer me so that I won't do it." Don tried his best to calm his brother.

"Don't, Donnie, please don't." He seemed to be sobbing. Don went to reach out to Charlie but when he touched Charlie on the shoulder, he had flinched back.

"Don't call me Chu..." Charlie swallowed, he couldn't even bring himself to say it. He curled himself up in a ball, trying to get rid of the sound of Tirry's voice. "_Don't move, Chuck." "I will just have to gag you, Chuck" "Stay awake, now, Chuck!" _Oh, God. Why couldn't he get that voice out of his head. _"Chuck." _He had to get it out. Make it stop. He reached his hand up in a fist, ready to hit his head, hoping that it would go away. But his fist had been stopped by a strong hand.

"Charlie. I'm sorry, Buddy." Don forced Charlie's hand down to his side, "It's alright now. I won't call you that ever again. I promise. Just come inside, buddy. Come out of the car with me."

Charlie thought about it for a length, then he nodded mutely, following Don out of the back seat of the car.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Don wasn't for sure why 'Chuck' had gotten Charlie into some sort of a panic attack, but he did have an idea.

"It's what he called me. All the time." Charlie whispered. He stopped walking, halfway to the house and he turned suddenly and started walking in that direction.

Once Don realized that Charlie wasn't with him anymore, he cursed and ran after Charlie, "What are you doing?"

"I need to go to the garage. I need it." Charlie answered, his fingers twitching.

Don noted the movement. "I thought you were hungry. You need to eat..."

Charlie shook his head mechanically, "No. I need ... I need numbers."

Don ran in front of Charlie and stood in his way. "No you don't. You will be fine without them for a few minutes. You need food and sleep." Don paused, "And you probably need to talk about this."

Charlie sighed, "You're probably right. I probably do need to talk about this, eat and sleep. But I can't. Not now." He quickly side-stepped Don and found his way into the garage.

Don sighed and decided he'd better go and tell his dad what had happened.

* * *

Charlie picked up the chalk and smiled as he felt it in his hand. This would help him. The numbers could embrace him and he could write out his pain. He decided to break down _that_ number. He knew everything off the top of his head.

"Time to get started." He said to himself as he began writing _57. 64...

* * *

_

"Dad, you need to call Dr. Roland right now."

Alan stopped making lunch. "What? Where's Charlie?"

"In the garage." Don sighed, "I messed up."

"I'm sure you didn't ..."

"No, I did!" Don yelled angrily, "I just had to call him 'Chuck'."

Alan blinked, "But you've always teased him with that name. What happened?"

Don ran his hand through his hair, "It's what Tirry called him." Don whispered. Alan stared, processing this thought, "I didn't know that Tirry had called him that."

Alan made his way to the phone. "Alright. Dr. Roland was going to come by later today anyway - but I think he's needed now, right?"

Don nodded and stood up, "I'm going to watch over Charlie." Alan nodded in agreement as he started talking into the phone.

Don stepped towards the garage with a worried stride. He felt as if it was his fault. All of this right from the beginning. It was his fault for calling Charlie 'Chuck', it was his fault that he let Tirry kidnap him, and he felt as if it was his fault that he wasn't able to see that Charlie needed the medical help to begin with - which made Charlie go see a therapist name Dr. Tirry.

Don opened the door slowly and he stared at the writing on the board.

_57.641592653589 is made up of 5 days, 2 Megan's at once, 1 for oil, 23 more slaps, 5 hallucinations, 1 seeing Don again, 1 for sharp, 1 for blunt, 1 broken nose, 2 slapped twice, 4 gallons of boiling water, 1 seeing Don, 2 hallucinations, 1 ice, 1 spider, 1 dry heaves, 1 stomp, 1 pencil, 1/2 of the bullets hit, 3.141592653589 brand_

Don's stomach went cold. He knew that was not as detailed as Charlie would have liked it. Don knew that Charlie would have rather had counted for every cut he got during the sharp, every bruise and broken bone he got the blunt, for every amount of oil that went inside of him.

Don couldn't ever get Charlie to talk about what all had happened to him before - and he hadn't read the police report.

"I didn't take in all the information in that initial equation I did." Charlie answered in a hollow voice. He turned and faced Don. Don could see the dry tears on his brother's face. "I didn't add in how often he called me ... or the thoughts he put into my head, how often I ruined my piece of bread and glass of water, how the darkness effected me, or-"

"Buddy." Don cut in, he was taken aback by how much his voice wavered on the edge of tears. He cleared his throat, "Buddy you don't need to break it down like that."

"Yes I do, Don. It helps." His arms went around his waist. "It helps. It helps. It helps." He kept repeating it, going quieter and quieter.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: Well, I actually have an idea for a third story in my 'Forgotten' series (thanks to SyberiaWinx)I'm thinking on calling it either, "Forgotten and Gone" or "Gone and Forgotten"  
So, you all can voice your opinion on a name or if you'd like go and tell me if you don't want a third story.  
And if I am doing a third story I wouldn't mind a beta. So If you'd like to be my beta for the third story, please contact me.**

**

* * *

**

Don watched over Charlie until Dr. Harry Roland made his appearance.

Don had sat next to Charlie on the couch. They had both been quiet as soon as Don had gotten Charlie to calm down.

Don had gotten up when he felt Dr. Roland's hand on his shoulder and he moved to the wall of the garage.

"Charlie." Roland said, "I need you to talk to me."

Charlie sighed and turned his head, looking into Dr. Roland's eyes, "You know what, Doctor? I don't want to be hypnotized anymore. I don't think that will help me in any way. In fact, I think it has hurt me more than help."

"I'm sorry, Charlie. I don't understand." Charlie could hear the question that weighted Roland's voice.

Charlie licked his dry lips, "It has brought up some stuff that I can't deal with - made it more real." He paused, "So real that I got hurt."

"Did you hurt yourself, Charlie?" Roland kept his voice soft, but his eyes showed disappointment.

"No. I did not hurt myself." Charlie answered in a strong voice. He remembered a time when if someone would have asked him that he would have been offended, but upon remembering all the things that happened the past year - he understood where the question came from.

"I don't understand." Roland stated again, discombobulated.

Charlie took a breath, "I had been taken to the hospital - against my will." He shot a death glare at Don who just smirked back.

Don stepped forward, "And we had ever right to, Charlie."

"No you did not!"

"Did too!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

"Both of you," Roland said sternly, "Stop the yelling right now or I swear, I will go and tell Alan."

Both of them shut their mouths and said, "Sorry." at the same time.

Roland blinked at the two, amazed that it actually worked. He sighed, "Alright. So, why did you get taken to the hospital, Charlie?"

"An injury had reappeared." Charlie lifted his hand and felt the back of his head, with a slight intake of breath, he continued talking, "And then it disappeared."

"It just disappeared?" Roland asked. "Just like that?"

Charlie nodded, "Yep. Doctor had no excuse for why it came and went."

"But you have a theory?"

Charlie smirked, "When don't I?"

Don grinned, that was like Charlie. Always with theories for everything. He was glad that Charlie was getting help - Charlie could be stubborn sometimes (like with going to the hospital) but he also knew when he needed help.

"And?" Roland asked, wondering what this theory was.

"Well," Charlie licked his dry lips again, as he voice started getting rough, "I think that the hypnotism made my mind relive what had happened vividly - thus causing a sort of 'phantom bump' on the back of my head where I had previously had one."

"A 'phantom bump'?"

"It's like when women have a 'phantom pregnancy'. Basically the woman either thinks she is pregnant or she if she desires one enough, she will have the symptoms of being pregnant without actually having a baby." Charlie answered.

Damn. That was a good theory. Plausible. Don remembered when he was in history class and someone telling him that Queen Mary of England also known as 'Bloody Mary' had a few of those 'phantom pregnancies', or so they think.

Roland peered around the room and his eyes stopped suddenly at the blackboard, he sighed and shook his head at all the numbers. "Did it help?"

Charlie followed his doctor's eyes and nodded, "Yes. It did." His voice was quiet and still rough. He cleared his throat, "I-I'm thirsty."

"We can take this inside where you will eat and drink something." Roland stated.

Charlie sighed and nodded, "I _was _hungry earlier."

"What happened?" Roland asked as the three of them made their way out of the garage.

"I kinda freaked out."

"Why?"

Don spoke up, "It was my fault."

"No, Don. I should have told you not to-"

"But I shouldn't have called you that. You always hated it when I called you ... that ..."

Roland sighed. Sometimes people just needed to say a full sentence. He knew that whatever it was, it was traumatic to Charlie, "Charlie, why don't you go inside and get started on getting your drink and food. I need to talk to Don for a moment."

Charlie nodded, knowing what they would be talking about; and he was very glad that he was spared the conversation.

Don watched and Charlie walked into the house and he let out a sigh when the door closed behind him. "Chuck." Don answered simply.

Roland nodded, "Alright. So, Tirry did what? Call him 'Chuck'?"

"That's what he said." Don answered with a shrug.

"I see why that would be traumatic for him." Roland said, thoughtfully, "We will have to weary for more triggers. Though we may never know them all and then one day some ten years from now he might come in contact with another trigger."

Don's thoughts filled with worry. "So what you're saying is that in some ten years from now, if someone calls him 'Chuck' he will freak out again?"

"Well, I sincerely hope not. We can help him get past the trigger's that we know of, but as for the ones we don't know about ..."

The two of them had made their way to the door as they had talked and soon they walked into the house.

Charlie looked up at them and he held up his sandwich, "See, I'm eating."

"Good." Roland said, "And now is also a good time for you to take your medication."

Charlie rolled his eyes as some pills found their way to his empty hand.

* * *

Charlie's head jerked up from his slumber as the doorbell rang. He looked about baffled at where the noise came from until he saw Don opening the door. He stood up and shook his head, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Dr. Roland had left soon after Charlie at some food. After that Charlie was tired - which was too be expected, he had not had much sleep the past few days.

Charlie looked at the door and smiled as Nancy came in. "Hey, Nancy."

"Charlie." She smiled. "It's great to see you."

"You too." Charlie paused, "You look fantastic."

"Hey!" Don said loudly, "That's my line!"

Nancy blushed. "Oh come on, I don't look that great."

Don pulled her into a hug. "Of course you do."

Alan walked into the room with an apron on, he smiled. "Come, let's eat."

The three others all smiled as they made their way into the kitchen.

But they had all dropped to the floor and covered their heads when the earth started to shake.

Everything was breaking around them. Pictures falling, glass shaking, dust flying. Chairs fell over, lights flashed, deafening noise.

It didn't last long. They normally don't.

"Is everyone alright?" Don asked after he did a body check on himself.

"I'm fine." Nancy said, standing up slowly, "Just a little frightened."

"I-I think I'm fine." Alan said shakily, "But that earthquake scared the bejeezes out of me."

Don awaited Charlie's answer, but when it didn't come, he started to worry. "Charlie? Buddy?" Silence, "Answer me."

Charlie's back was to them and he was shaking like a leaf.

Don got up and walked to Charlie, "Hey, Buddy?" He bent down beside Charlie.

His face was pale and sweat dotted his forehead. His eyes were wide and staring.

"Charlie? Where are you hurt? You seem to be going into shock. Tell me where you are hurt." His voice was rushed, worried.

Charlie shook his head, he tried to tell Don that he wasn't hurt. But he wasn't for sure if he was getting through. He knew that Don was sitting beside him even though he couldn't move his eyes.

Don noticed the shake of the head, but he didn't believe it. He stared at Charlie and started to give him a body check. Don didn't see any injuries, so he started searching Charlie's face for clues. He saw Charlie's staring eyes and he followed the gaze to the floor.

Don's heart sank. No wonder Charlie was acting like this.

By now, Alan and Nancy were worried about him as well, so they had all surrounded the young man.

Don reached down, moving the object that was in Charlie's sight.

He had to take the piece of glass that had gone through the picture of Margaret.

"M-Mom." Charlie's voice cracked.

"It's alright, son." Alan said, "It's alright."

Soon they had all started to calm down and they started picking up the house.

Nancy had walked up to the TV, so that she could watch the news, but the power was out. She sighed and started to help Don clean up.

Once the house was in order they all sat down, but they hadn't been resting quietly for five minutes before Charlie suddenly stood up. "The garage ..." He made his way to see what the earthquake did to his workspace.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: Standard still applies.  
A/N: Curtisbrothersfan! Oh! I love the name you gave me! Everyone will be able to look forward to the next story in this series, "Gone to Be Forgotten"  
And I'm sorry to say that I think there will be one more chapter after this one. But I could be wrong with that.

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Don rushed after Charlie. He had to make sure that his brother was alright when he saw the garage.

He opened the door and saw Charlie just standing staring at everything.

"Donnie ... It's all gone." Charlie voice was heart breaking.

Don looked around the room and saw how all the chalkboards had fallen over. "How is it all gone?" He stepped forward and picked up a blackboard. The writing was still on it, a little smudged in places, but there.

Charlie turned and stared at Don. "It's all gone..." His voice wasn't strong at all.

"What's all gone?" Don asked, blinking, "Charlie, your blackboards are still the way you left them." He paused, "Except that they are on the floor ..."

"Don, it's got nothing to do with math." Charlie voice was uneven as he stated this.

Don walked up to Charlie, "What? Then what's all gone?"

"Donnie ..." Charlie sighed, "I can't." He shook his head, "I just can't."

"Can't what?"

"Take this anymore." His voice was soft and quiet. Don almost didn't hear it.

Don was worried now more than ever. Charlie just said that he couldn't take it. What was his brother going through? Was Charlie going to be alright? "Charlie. We're all here for you. We can help you."

"Sorry I broke our promise. I just couldn't keep it anymore." Charlie sighed.

Don blinked for a moment, unsure what to say, "What promise?"

"The promise that I'd stay strong."

"Charlie. You are strong." Don said with force, "You are still strong. You are one of the strongest people I know."

Charlie shook his head, "No. I'm not." He picked up and overturned chair and sat down on it, "I am not strong. Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying, Buddy. I'm telling the truth." Don said, sitting beside his younger brother, "If I had been through what you have I know I would have been committed long ago."

"Maybe I should be commi-"

Don thrust his hand over Charlie's mouth, "Don't you dare say it. You do not need to be committed."

"But Don, all my strength is gone. At the moment you may not think so, but soon it will be apparent."

"No it won't. Because you are not weak, Charlie." Don sighed, "You still have strength to go on."

"No I don't. There is nothing you can do or say that will bring my strength back." Charlie muttered.

Don stared at him. "You don't know that. Trust me, you have strength. In fact, you so much strength that it flows through you and gives me my strength to keep going."

"Liar."

Don shook his head, "I'm not lying. When you had been kidnapped - that was the worst for me. I had become weak during that time. But when we found you, my strength was found again. After seeing that you still had some."

"I did not."

"Did too."

"Fine. Say that what you said it true." Charlie began, "That's all great. But I don't have the strength to fight it anymore. That strength has depleted."

"What are you fighting, Charlie?"

"Everything. Nothing. Does it matter?"

"I guess it doesn't. What matters is that you know that you can borrow some of my strength and replenish your depleted supply."

"Really?"

"Always. Whenever you need help with something, Buddy. All you have to do is call and I'll be there."

Charlie stood up, and talking with a excitement in his voice said, "Alright then. Let's get to work."

"Wait. What?" Don was thrown by the sudden change.

"Getting all my blackboards where they should be." Charlie answered as if he was talking to an idiot.

Don shook his head happily, "Alright. Let's do that."

* * *

Alan was glad to see his two son's come in joking with each other.

"I will not eat that."

Charlie chuckled, "You already have."

Don stopped in his steps, "What? When?"

Charlie thought about it, "Two months ago?"

"What the hell? You are lying. Fess up, right now."

"Not lying, Don." Charlie smirked, "I got you to eat spinach without you knowing it."

Alan smiled and laughed. Don had always hated spinach and Charlie had always tried to get Don to eat some. Not because he himself liked it, he just wanted to torture his older brother with the thought of eating some.

Nancy walked up to Don and hugged him, "Aw, come on. Spinach is good for you. Haven't you ever seen any Popeye?"

"Yeah!" Charlie cheered, "A good FBI Agent needs to eat his spinach everyday to stay nice and strong. So that he can defeat Bluto and win the love of Olive."

Don hugged Nancy back, "I've already won the love my Olive."

Charlie laughed and looked around the house. Alan and Nancy seemed to have picked up the place as near as they could. He looked at the wall, where the picture of his mother always stood. He stared at the space, confused. A picture of her was there. It wasn't the same picture though. He had never seen it before. She looked for beautiful than before. He walked up to it in a daze.

Alan watched his youngest with a smile. He soon joined Charlie by the picture of his wife. "I thought I should replace the picture of her."

"When ... was this taken?"

"It's the first picture I took of her when we were going out." Alan smiled, remembering, "She hated me taking the picture and she claimed that she hated the way she looked in it. But I often caught her digging it out of the boxes and looking at it, remembering our first date."

"So she did like the picture." Charlie muttered to himself.

"I will take the other picture somewhere and try to get it fixed, if I can." Alan told Charlie. "So, how was the garage?"

"All the blackboards had fallen down, but other than that, not much damage." Charlie jumped when the phone rang.

Alan put a hand on Charlie's shoulder as he answered it, "Hello?" He listened and then turned to Charlie, "It's for you."

Charlie took the phone, "Hello?"

_"Is this Dr. Charles Eppes?"_

"Yes. May I ask who is calling?"

_"I am Warden Jeff Quinn. And I am calling to give you news of Ben Tirry."_

Charlie's mouth went dry. He sat down, suddenly pale. "Y-Yes?"

_"I'd like to let you know that during the earthquake Mr. Tirry had been smashed by some debris and was killed while in his holding cell."_

"Oh my God."

_"I read his file and thought that you would like to know and find out over the phone and not from the TV or a newspaper."_

"Yes. Th-Thank you Warden. Thank you for calling."

"_It's not a problem Dr. Eppes. Goodbye."_

"Bye." Charlie stared ahead and dropped the phone.

Don had watched Charlie when he was talking on the phone. He saw Charlie pale as his legs gave out. He heard Charlie's child-like voice as he replied. But what really got Don's attention was when Charlie said 'Warden'. He had got a call from a Warden. What if, during the earthquake Tirry had escaped and they just gave Charlie a heads-up? Don soon found himself next to Charlie, "Buddy?"

Charlie sighed unevenly, but when he spoke, his voice was firm and loud, "Ben Tirry was died from the earthquake."

That was not what Don had expected. "Wow." It was all he could say.

"The Warden wanted to let me know before I heard it from the media." Charlie paused, "I wonder if anyone else died."

For the first time in a while, Charlie felt safe. Or, more safe than before. It bothered him, knowing that the only reason he felt so safe was because a man died in a natural disaster. And what of all the other people who might have died during the earthquake? Did they have enemies who feel safer now? Was anyone else feeling the same way he was right now?

Charlie looked at his family and knew that there were other people who felt the same way. He read it on Alan and Don's faces. Relief. They were glad that Tirry was dead, just like he was. "I'm going to go to his funeral."

"What?" Alan asked, shocked, "Why?"

Charlie shrugged, "I don't know. I just need to go."

"I think it's a good idea." Nancy said with a small smile, "It should help you out a lot. A type of closure to it all."

The four of them sat in silence for while. Unsure what to say or do.

Until Don's cell rang.

"Eppes."

"Don?" David asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. The 'quake just scared us all."

"And who is 'us'?"

"Me, Charlie, Dad, and Nancy." Don paused, "And you?"

"Megan already checked in on Larry - he, Matt, and Ellen are all fine. And Colby and I are good."

Don nodded, "Alright. Well now we know that we are all good."

"Don," David started, "You are needed at the office right now. A bunch of Agents are being sent out to help with the aftermath."

Don shot a glance at Charlie and was worried about his aftermath. "Uh, I can't. I think I'm needed here more."

"Charlie? How's he holding up?"

"Pretty well considering he just got the news that Ben Tirry died during the 'quake."

The line was quiet for a moment, "What?"

"Yeah. Debris smashed him. We got the call not that long ago."

"Wow. Yeah, you can stay there and help out your family." David said, "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yep, Tomorrow." Don hung up and turned to the others, "Well, everyone else is good."

"That's great." Alan said.

Don looked at Charlie who's hands were shaking. "Charlie?"

Charlie's head jerked up, he noted his hands, "I uh. I think I need my medication." He got up and started to move jerkily to the kitchen.

"Let me help." Don walked with his brother, "You alright?"

"J-Just got some big news." Charlie swallowed the pills that had been given to him, "This will change the nightmares I have tonight." He was hugging himself.

Don sighed, "Yeah. It probably will. But it's good news, right?"

"I don't know, Don. It doesn't feel right."

"What doesn't?" Don asked, genuinely confused.

"It doesn't feel right, being happy to hear that someone died."

"Oh, Charlie. In your case, it is the only correct feeling to have. Heck. I feel happy, knowing that Tirry can't hurt you anymore."

Charlie chuckled sadly, "He may not be alive anymore, Don. But that doesn't stop him from hurting me."


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Oh! Yay! I have a beta for the next story! Many thanks to stealthy290**!

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**Epilogue**

Charlie looked down at the stone through his sun glasses. No tears flowed on the bright, sunny day. His curls jumped around in the wind, getting in his face. But he didn't care. He was just glad that he was free, to be able to have the wind blow his hair.

He wanted to cry and yell at the stone. It was telling everyone a lie.

A sudden rage filled Charlie and he kicked the stone, right where it said _...Great Man ..._. That was bullshit. He was not a great man. he was a horrible, little, balding man who should have never been born.

Charlie bit his lip to stop himself from crying out as pain filled his foot.

Charlie just kicked it again, this time where it said, _... Will Be Missed._ Like hell, no one will miss him. He went crazy for God sakes! And not crazy like Charlie crazy, but crazy like an axe-murderer. No, Charlie would not miss this man.

"Why?" Charlie asked the stone quietly.

Of course, the only answer he got was the whisper of the trees as the wind grew stronger.

"Why me?" Charlie asked in a stronger voice. "Why did you have to go crazy? You were my doctor - you weren't supposed me part of my demise." He sighed, "You really piss me off. I had done nothing to you and you! You go and kidnap me. I am relieved, even glad to see you cold and in the ground. And knowing that I feel that way makes me angry because I should not feel that way towards anyone. My mom taught me to always see the best in people. But I do not see anything good about you. She also taught me too not hate others, but I cannot feel any other emotion towards you. You are ... were ... a monster. And you've made me a monster, just like you." Charlie paused and ran his hand through his hair, "I hope you realize your actions and that you are sorry for them, asshole."

With that Charlie turned and started walking away from Tirry's grave. But soon he was in front of another grave.

Tears weld up in his eyes as he sat down in the grass next to the stone.

"I am sorry." Charlie swallowed, "I am sorry that I have disrespected you by feeling the way I do about the man a few yards away. I've tried not to hate him, but I can't stop. I am so scared of what I'm going to become." He sighed and leaned his head against the stone, "I miss you so much, mom. I don't know how I've lived this long without you. It gets so hard sometimes. But I know that if I ... did something that Don and Dad would be devastated - again. And I know how they took it all the other three times I've tried and I don't think they could take a fourth. Even if I don't succeed."

Suddenly Charlie felt a hand on his shoulder, "Succeed at what?"

Charlie looked up, "It doesn't matter, Don."

Don sat down next to him. "Come on. You can tell me."

"No I can't." Charlie sighed, "But it's fine."

"So," Don started, "What all did you and mom talk about?"

"She didn't talk back Don." Charlie muttered. "I've gotten enough of my sanity back to not hallucinate about her."

"I didn't mean ..." Don sighed. "That's not what I meant by the statement."

Charlie yawned.

"Tired, Buddy?"

Charlie nodded slowly. "I haven't been sleeping well."

Don nodded, "I know. Dad's told me."

Charlie cursed, "I wish he wouldn't hear me."

"It's alright." Don helped Charlie up, "Let's get you home. You've had a big day."

On the way to Don's SUV, Charlie spoke up quietly, "It was closed casket."

"I know."

"Because he got smashed from the debris."

"I know."

"And It's all my fault that he's dead."

Don paused, "That is not true." He turned and made Charlie look at him, "It is not your fault that Tirry died."

"Yes it is."

"No, It's not."

"It's my fault because if I hadn't been here then he wouldn't have kidnapped me and tortured me. Then he wouldn't have been arrested and he wouldn't have been at that place during the earthquake and the debris wouldn't have fallen and smashed him!"

"Charlie." Don used force on the name, "It is not you're fault. None of this that has happened recently is your fault. Do you understand?"

"If it's not my fault, then who's is it?"

Don sighed, "I don't know Charlie. But it's not your fault."

Charlie sighed, maybe Don was right. Maybe it wasn't his fault. Maybe everything was just out of his control right now. That makes sense because if it would all be in his control - nothing would be like this.

Charlie started to the SUV again and Don followed closely behind.

On the way back to Charlie's house, Charlie had fallen asleep. And Don was glad that his brother was getting some rest - even if it was in a vehicle.

* * *

_A light flashed on. Charlie stared at what it was showing as he could feel the chills run down his back._

_The pain was there, fresh, anew. The chains around his neck and wrists again. The smell of the dark basement filled his nostrils._

_He saw Tirry come near him in the darkness with a sad smile on his face._

_Charlie tried backing away, "Please. No more. I don't want it to hurt anymore."_

Don glanced at his brother when Charlie groaned in his sleep and sweat started to appear on his forehead.

_Tirry sat next to him on the ground, "Chuck..."_

_"Don't call me Chuck!" Charlie finally got the courage to yell at Tirry, "I don't want to be called Chuck! And you've made it even worse! When Don called me Chuck I freaked out and it is all your fault!"_

_Charlie watched in horror as a tear rolled down Tirry's cheek, "I am sorry." He reached out to Charlie._

Don started to panic for his brother when he heard Charlie yell something under his breath and flinch.

_Charlie was amazed that Tirry had reached out to take the chains off Charlie. "W-What?"_

_"I am so sorry, Chuck." Tirry sighed, "I understand more now that I'm, well, Dead." Tirry paused, "And you have every right to be mad at me. Hell, I'd be pissed if I were you."_

_"I am pissed. Did you not hear when I told you that?" Charlie stood up and faced Tirry, "I don't want to forgive you of anything!"_

_"And I didn't expect to be forgiven." Tirry said, "I expect to be gone from you're life. But not forgotten."_

_Charlie scoffed, "Oh, Don't worry. I don't think I can ever forget you." He answered angrily._

_Tirry grinned his awful smile, "Good. Then I will live on then."_

"-lie! Charlie!"

Charlie jumped awake, panting and shaking in the SUV.

Don sighed, "Thank god. I was getting really worried, Buddy."

Charlie swallowed, "W-Worried?"

"Yeah, buddy. You were having a nightmare and it was freaking me out. I had to pull over and try to wake you." Don voice was full of concern and worry. "What were you dreaming about?"

"N-Nothing." Charlie answered, obviously still not recovered from the dream. "I-It wasn't of anything im-important."

"Not important? God, Charlie! You were yelling and freaking out! It looked like you were having a panic attack!" Don paused, "Please tell me that your nightmares at night are not all like that one."

Charlie let out a sigh, "No. They aren't." _Tirry has never apologized._ Charlie thought.

"So they normally aren't this bad?"

"Worse." Charlie answered under his breath.

Don didn't hear his answer, "I hope they aren't that bad. But if they are that explains why Dad has been so worried about you lately."

"He's been worried?"

"Why else do you think he made me come with you to the funeral? Remember, you wanted to go by yourself and he wouldn't let you."

Don was right. Alan had been hovering over Charlie more than ever. He sighed. "Let's just go home."

* * *

Alan stayed awake during the night. Like always. Just waiting to hear Charlie wake up from his nightmares.

But he had kept falling asleep tonight. He looked at his clock. 2:48. It was 2:48 and Charlie still hadn't woken up from a nightmare? Something was up.

He got up to go and check on Charlie.

Walking as quietly as he could he peeked into Charlie room. Just to find him fast asleep, with a grin on his face.

Alan smiled, no nightmares tonight. This would be the first night without nightmares since he came home. Apparently going to the funeral did help Charlie.

Before Alan shut the door, he heard Charlie talking.

"Flynn, tell Toby to get out of the sky. It's not a place for windmills."

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Fin

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**A/N: Well, what do you think? Good ending? Crappy? Do you want to through tomatoes at me?  
Well, I want you all to stay tuned for the third story.  
Name: " Gone to Be Forgotten" (Thank you Curtisbrothersfan)  
Main idea from SyberiaWinx  
Beta: stealthy290  
Online Date: -shrugs- whenever I get it written, beta-ed, and online.**


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